Brothers Of A Different Kind
by Assassin of War
Summary: Everyone knows the man, myth, and legend of Steve Rogers, better known to the world as Captain America. However, what most didn't know was that the man had a younger brother, a man who also participated in Project: Rebirth. While one brother thrust himself into the light of the world, the other was forced to walk in it's shadows, and they embraced him wholeheartedly.
1. Chapter 1

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Welcome to the re-written version of this story. Everything is the same story-wise, just added new characters, dialogue, and fixed the grammar along with some of the dates, etc.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

 _ **New York Methodist Hospital – October 10th, 1920**_

How could this have happened to them, again?! She and her husband had promised one another, sworn even, that this would never happen again, and yet here they were once more.

"Push, Mrs. Rogers! Push!"

Sarah Rogers, born 1885, glared bloody daggers at the nurse who had deigned to open her mouth and remind her to do something she already knew she had to do. This wasn't her first rodeo dammit!

"What do you think I've been doing!" she snapped, her knuckles turning white as her grip on the bed railings tightened every few seconds.

She once believed she knew what pain was after giving birth to her first child, nope. That birth and this one were spectrum's apart on the pain scale. Even her term as a field medic in World War I didn't bring her this much pain, and she had been shot, and stabbed. The loss of precious friends was the only thing she could equate to the pain she was feeling right now.

"I can see the crown of the head!" announced the doctor. "We're almost there, Mrs. Rogers. Just keep breathing." he reminded. "Now push!"

Doing as the doctor ordered, she soon wished she hadn't. The pain was unbearable. It felt like she was being torn apart from the inside by her soon to be newborn son.

"You're doing great, honey."

Sarah may not have been able to see her husband as he gave her those words of encouragement, as the pain forced her to scrunch her eyes, but she heard them loud and clear. She and her husband of six years, Joseph, had met during the early stages of the first war. It started off as a simple friendship but quickly evolved into something more. It hadn't been long before they each professed their love for one another and consummated it. From their love their first son was born.

Steven Grant Rogers, born the 4th of July, 1918.

"You're almost there! Just one final push!"

Trusting the nursing staff, she pushed, she screamed, and with one final hurrah, the pain that had been tormenting her so suddenly went away, like it had never been there in the first place. She let out a large breath of relief as her head slammed back down onto the bed, and the many pillows she had acquired over her stay. She was dead tired and wasn't sure if she had the strength to lift her head back up. Her eyes slowly began to close...

"Waah!"

Sarah's blue eyes snapped open, and a renewed vigor entered her body the second she heard the crying of her newborn. Slowly using her renewed strength to lift herself back up, she looked up and made first contact with him. Tears began to well up in her eyes as a heartwarming smile made it's way to her face.

Her son was absolutely beautiful.

What blonde hair he did have on his head was already far more vibrant than hers, or her husband's. It was as if the sun itself had kissed the top of his head. His skin was flawless, and she couldn't wait to run her hands over him. What stunned her the most however were his eyes. She had nearly forgotten just how magical it was to see a newborn's eyes when they first opened. It was like she was staring at a pool of the crystal clear water.

"Man, the kid sure has a set of lungs on him, don't he? Could probably wake the dead." joked Joseph.

Sarah didn't even register her husband's attempt at humor. She was simply too focused on her son.

"Date of birth: October 10th, 1920. Weight: 9lbs. Height: 20 inches..." said a nurse, jotting down the baby's measurements to keep on file. "Name?" she asked suddenly.

"Nathaniel David Rogers." answered Sarah, after months of deliberation between she and Joseph. "Is it okay to let my other son in now?" she asked, cooing at Nathan.

The nurse nodded. "Sure thing, though we can't have him stay in the room for to long."

Sarah nodded, as she knew of the precautions that needed to be taken with a newborn. "Thank you."

The two parents watched the nurse walk out and soon returned their attention back towards Nathan.

"He sure is something, ain't he." Joseph said, smiling softly as he watched his newborn son nuzzle closer to his wife's bosom. Sarah agreed, smiling at Nathan.

"He's beautiful." she said. She knew she was being repetitive here, but it was true. Her son was beautiful.

The two parents soon saw another mop of blonde hair enter the room and run over to them. Joseph picked up his first born so he could get a better view.

"He's beautiful, isn't he, Steve?"

The little boy nodded. "He sure is mama. What's his name?"

"Nathan."

"Hi, Nathan!" Steve greeted the newborn enthusiastically. "My name is Steve, I'm gonna be your big brother."

Both parents smiled lovingly at their two boys.

"Steven..."

The slightly older boy heard his name and looked at his mother.

"I want you and Nathan to always watch out for one another." she said. "I know there will be times when things get rough between you two, but don't let something break the bond you two now share."

"The bond between siblings, especially brothers, is unbreakable." added Joseph.

Steve looked at his parents, not really understanding what they meant, but nodded nonetheless. The two adults just smiled at him, clearly seeing their oldest didn't understand.

"You'll understand what we mean when you're older kiddo."

Unbeknownst to the Rogers family, and the medical staff, an apparition began to form on the opposite side of the hospital bed, and it's stare was intently focused on the newborn. The apparition began to lean in closer until it was but a few inches away from Nathan's face.

"Soon you will be mine...Uzumaki Naruto."

The entire family of blonde's felt a cold shiver run up their spines as they looked around for the source of the chill. Their investigation was over before it began as Nathan began to cry.

"There, there..." hushed Sarah softly. "It's alright, Nathan. As long as your family's here, nothing will ever hurt you."

"Sing for him mama."

"That's a great idea, Steve." she said, and cleared her throat. "Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird, and if that mockingbird don't sing, mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring..."

Her soothing voice faded out as Nathan slowly stopped crying and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

– _**Twenty-Two Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **April 9th, 1942**_

' _Steve is gonna kill me!'_

Nathan was pushing his body as hard as he could, panting hard as he ran towards his final destination.

' _Ugh, I think I'm gonna puke!'_

Somehow managing to hold down the contents from rushing back out from his stomach, the blonde was inching closer to his location. The movie theater. Both he and his older brother had agreed to watch a film in order to pass the rest of the day after a hard days work. Though neither could agree on which feature to watch. He wanted to watch the Saboteur while Steve wanted to watch Arabian Nights. They finally came to an agreement. They were going to watch a cartoon film, by some man named Walt Disney, called Bambi.

"Extra! Extra!" shouted a newspaper-stand salesmen. "The Allied Powers agree not to sign a separate peace treaty with the Axis Powers!" he announced. "I repeat, they are not signing!"

The youngest Rogers child slowly started to decelerate before stopping in front of the stand and picking up one of the papers. He steeled his nerves and read not only the headline article about the treaty, but the various others that gave updates on the happenings of the war. His hands slowly began to clench as he read of the gruesome acts committed by the Axis Powers, specifically by the Nazis and their sub-division called Hydra. Oh how he wished he could join up and help. Alas, he, along with Steve, had both been rejected on numerous occasions, for a variety of reasons.

While his brother wanted to join the Army, and follow in their father's footsteps, he wanted to follow in his mothers and become a combat medic. He was smart enough to join their ranks, but not nearly fit enough. As he was, he would only slow down the unit he was put in. He let out a sigh.

Just thinking about his mother, God bless her soul, brought him down a peg. After his father had re-enlisted to fight once more, only to die via mustard gas, money grew tight.

By this point, both he and Steve were taking care of the family, but their meager salaries alone would not be enough to sustain the three of them, so Sarah re-enlisted as well. Though instead of being a field medic once more, she was assigned to nursing duty. Not because she couldn't handle the rigors of being out in the field once more, but because it was found out during a physical that she was pregnant.

Unfortunately, as much as he and Steve would have loved to have had a third sibling, it seemed that fate had other plans. The baby was lost during childbirth due to a complication. The bad news didn't end there however. With the death of the baby, compounded by the death of their father, Sarah had soon fallen into a deep depression. Both Steve and Nathan had vowed to take care of her, just as she took care of them, but with them now fully supporting the family, they couldn't always watch her, and she just vanished one day.

They had turned the city of New York upside down, searching for her, calling out her name, asking friends if they'd seen or come across her. None had. Eventually, hours turned to days, days to weeks, and weeks to months before they received heartbreaking news. Their mother had been admitted into a clinic, was diagnosed to have contracted the Tuberculosis disease from her time as a nurse, and passed away.

After it was indeed determined that she died of TB, her body was eventually returned to them, and they buried her in Cypress Hills Cemetery, next to the empty grave of their father.

' _I hope this war ends soon. To many families have been broken up because of it.'_

Just as he returned his attention back to the paper in hand, it was suddenly snatched out of his hands.

"Hey!" he cried. "I was reading that!"

"This ain't a library, pipsqueak. Either buy the paper, or get lost."

Nathan scowled in the older man's direction. "I'm not a pipsqueak." he growled. "I'm twenty-one for chrissakes!" He hated when people mistook him for a kid.

The older man squinted his eyes before nodding. "Huh, coulda fooled me. Yer pretty short for your age then..." he pointed out, and then shut up, seeing the glare being directed at him. "A-Anyways, either buy something or scram."

"Tch, with service like that see if I ever come back and buy something, ya bastard..."

"What was that?!"

"First your hospitality and now your hearing are gone, what next, old man? Just stick to selling your pieces of paper from your shack."

Nathan was silently snickering to himself for putting the rude old timer in his place when a very large shadow suddenly blotted out the sun behind him.

' _Was it supposed to rain today?'_

Turning around, his eyes widened when that old timer he had mocked just seconds ago was hovering right behind him, a rolled up newspaper in hand. He did the only thing he could, he ran. The older man gave chase, but after a few seconds gave up and returned to his stand. Seeing as he was no longer being chased, he stopped as well, panting like crazy.

' _Damn asthma.'_

Finally catching his breath after a few seconds, he walked a few more blocks before finally arriving at his destination. He got in line, adjusted the glasses on his face, and grimaced.

' _It felt like it was only yesterday when it cost you fifteen cents to watch a film.'_

Digging into his hand-me-down pair of pants, he pulled out the required thirty cents. As he got closer and closer to giving his hard earned money to the teller, he heard a loud noise coming from the alley of the theater. Curiosity getting the better of him, and since no one else appeared to be going to check out the noise as someone could be hurt, he stepped out of line and decided to investigate.

' _Let's see here...'_

From his vantage point, he could make out two people, both male, and both duking it out. Though he couldn't really call this a fight. The one near the wooden fence in the back was getting his ass handed to him.

' _I need to get a closer look.'_

He kinda felt like Union Jack as he slowly crept closer to the action. Confident he was close enough to them, he leaned in for a closer look, and his eyes widened behind his glasses. He knew one of the two fighters. The poor schmuck near the fence, the one getting his ass handed to him, just happened to be his older brother!

"You just don't know when to give up, do ya?"

Nathan watched as Steve got up from the ground shakily, wiping some blood away, and put up his fists once more. "I can do this all day." replied Steve.

Before his brother could take another swing, and no doubt get blocked, he decided to intervene and help him out.

"Surprise mothafucka!"

The large man turned around in time when he heard the voice and used Nathan's momentum to toss him right into Steve.

"Oof!"

As the man began to stalk forward, ready to unleash more pain, he was stopped by a man in uniform whom both brothers were familiar with.

"Hey! Pick on somebody your own size!"

The two blondes got up off one another just in time to see the uniformed man kick the other man in the ass. Now that the danger had passed, Steve turned to his brother.

"...Nathan." Steve panted. "...What have I said about using that coarse language?"

The younger blonde was simply dumbfounded. That was the first thing his brother asked him?! Nathan let out an exasperated sigh.

"That you didn't like it when I spoke like that."

"That's right. As the older sibling, it's my job to make sure you grow up into a respectable man, and language like that isn't helping." he said. "Also, what have I said about picking up Isaiah's bad speech habits?"

Isaiah Bradley, a young black man from Harlem, who occasionally hung out with Nathan, would often curse like a sailor, and that was because his own father was in the Navy.

"Um, not to."

"That's right." nodded Steve, giving his brother a stern stare.

"Cut the kid a break, Steve. His heart was in the right place, despite him being dumb and announcing his presence to the guy he was sneaking up on."

Nathan was just about to thank his friend for sticking up for him in front of his brother, not anymore he wasn't. "Hey!" he cried indignantly. "Fuck you, Bucky!"

The now named friend merely smirked. "Flattered, but I only prefer the company of women."

The younger blonde blushed in embarrassment. He liked girls as well! Before he could state this, he was interrupted.

"You get your orders?" inquired Steve.

"The 107th, Sergeant James Barnes." He stood at attention. "Shipping off to England first thing in the morning."

Steve's jaw tightened. "I-"

"We."

The older blonde looked at his younger brother, nodding. "Right. We should be going as well."

Bucky stood there silently, not really knowing what to say to his two best friends. He knew how much the two Rogers brothers wanted to join and help. Seeing as nothing out of his mouth would change how the two were feeling, he decided to change the subject.

"C'mon boys..." He wrapped his arms around their shoulders. "It's my last night in New York, and we gotta get the two of you cleaned up."

"...You trying to tell me something?"

Steve and Bucky rolled their eyes and ignored the younger blonde. "Why, where we going?" asked the older blonde.

"Towards the future." replied the Sergeant, handing Steve a newspaper. Nathan leaned over to read the headline.

"The World Exposition of Tomorrow." He read. "Hm-mm, sounds like fun."

* * *

– _**A Few Hours Later –**_

 _BOOM!_

Fireworks of different shapes and colors exploded in the cool night sky of New York City as the trio of best friends weaved around the large crowds of people. Nathan felt like a child again, watching all the bright lights in the sky. It was very stimulating, and he was only half aware of the conversation between his brother and friend.

"I don't see what the problem is..." started Bucky. "You and your brother are about to be some of the last eligible men in the state of New York." he said, envious. "You do know there a three and a half million women here, right?"

"Yeah, well, I'd settle for just one." muttered Steve, indicating his poor track record with the opposite sex.

At the mention of the fairer sex, Nathan was snapped out of his childlike wonder. "You guys talking about women?"

"Yeah, we are." nodded Bucky. "Were you able to invite any of your female friends?"

"Nope." replied Nathan, a shake of his head. "All four of 'em were busy."

The Sergeant still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Nathan, the 'nerdy' brother, has already had four girlfriends while Steve has yet to still have one. From what he knew, the kid hadn't gone as far as first base, but the fact he had even gotten that far was what mattered here.

' _It's gotta be that big brain of his. After all, all four girlfriends were librarians, I think.'_

"Does it matter if they aren't here?" questioned Nathan, looking around again.

"Um, kinda." replied Bucky, rubbing the back of his head. "See, I was only able to invite two girls..."

Nathan stopped cold in his tracks, and as if on cue...

"Hey! Bucky!" shouted a female, standing next to another female, both under a statue.

"Wha?"

Before the younger blonde could make a large stink about being left out, much like when they were all kids, the soldier pulled him aside.

"Look, I'm sorry I couldn't find a third for you, Nate." apologized Bucky. "But your brother needs this man, and you know that by right, older brother always gets first dibs."

Nathan's mouth shut closed with a click after hearing what his friend had to say. As much as he hated to admit it, Bucky was right. His brother needed this more than he did. He sighed.

"Fine." he replied. "Though what am I supposed to do while the two of you are out having fun?"

The Sergeant shrugged. "Dunno. Why don't you put the charm on some lady? We both know you're a smooth talker when it comes to the opposite sex."

"Yeah, that's true I guess..." he said, hands in his pockets, walking away. "Hope you strike out and my brother receives some luck tonight." he muttered.

"I heard that, ya brat."

Nathan scurried off, not wanting to receive a noogie from his friend as Bucky could actually catch up to him when he ran. The blonde quickly vanished within the sea of people, and he could only hope he found something interesting that would occupy his time.

' _Only time will tell I suppose.'_

* * *

– _**A Few Minutes Later –**_

Nathan had eventually stopped wandering around the expo, having settled on an exhibit.

' _Hm-mm, Dr. Phineas T. Horton, and his vision of tomorrow.'_ The blonde eyed the exhibit in front of him with curious eyes. _'A...synthezoid? No, that's not it. It's a suit.'_

The blonde always harbored a deep thirst for knowledge in science, though his tendencies tended to gravitate more towards the technological aspect of the area. Technology truly fascinated him like nothing else. It was the reason why he was always at the library, and the reason he inadvertently had four girlfriends. He let out a sigh when thinking about his past relationships.

They would always start out great at first, but seeing as he was the more adventurous when it came to learning things others deemed forbidden or taboo, well, they didn't tend to last long. He only hoped he found someone who was compatible with him and his tendencies, before it was to late.

He returned his attention back towards the exhibit and began to walk around it, reading all of the little information cards scattered about, until he stopped. Standing just a few feet away from him, from the suit, was a woman, and what a woman she was. Just standing there she took his breath away.

She was a head shorter than he was, which wasn't very tall considering he was 5'6, had straight honey blonde hair, chocolate brown orbs, and a light tan. The clothes she wore did little to hide her buxom figure, as her pants gave shape to her round derriere, and her tight sweater accentuated her very large breasts. The woman was a bombshell clear and simple. She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on. Granted, he hasn't been alive long enough to have seen such beauty elsewhere, but nonetheless, he would stand by his statement.

As he continued to subtly monitor her, he soon came to notice he wasn't the only one. He spotted other men, even some women, appreciating her voluptuous figure, yet none made an attempt to approach her. Two reasons came to mind. One, either she was here with someone and was waiting, or two, the others checking her out were simply intimidated by her beauty.

Taking a deep breath, he decided to try his luck. What's the worst that would happen, she says no. He walked over to her and stopped right beside her as she continued to look at the suit.

"...They say Dr. Horton created the Horton Cell which was what provided him the building block to create the suit." he said, reciting information from one of the cards. He then mentally started to kick himself. Why oh why did he start with that?!

The female next to him had seen him approaching from the corner of her eye. "Hm-mm." She let out a hum. "Really now. If this is true, then how is he able to keep the user safe from the flames when they activate?"

Nathan's jaw nearly hit the floor. It seemed there was more to this beauty than meets the eye.

"Rumor has it that the cells are actually synthetic, man-made creations, that can be manipulated by the user to protect the user." he said. "Though until the good doctor actually reveals this himself, we'll never truly know. All we can do is speculate."

"I see." she responded, and then looked at him. His face heated up a bit. "Do you like these sorts of things? The science I mean?" she asked.

He nodded. "I do, but if I'm being honest here, I love the technological aspect much more." he said, a smile on his face. "Don't get me wrong though, I like the scientific aspect as well, but being able to create something from my own imagination with my own two hands, that's what excites me, and come on, don't tell me this isn't cool." he said, looking at the suit in front of them.

She giggled at his boyish enthusiasm. "You say some very interesting things." she commented. "Every scientist I know is grounded in reality, and would outright discredit you and your work for simply using the word imagination."

Nathan scoffed. "Like I care what close-minded individuals think. The only opinions that matter to me are those of my family and friends." he stated. "Besides, I like using my imagination. After all, it's those of us who imagine that innovate, and it's innovation that changes the world."

The blonde female smiled to herself when hearing that. "I couldn't agree with you more."

"Really!" His voice spiked a bit. "I mean, really?"

She couldn't stop herself from laughing at his high-pitched voice, and tried covering it up by placing her hand over her mouth. Meanwhile, Nathan covered his embarrassed face with his.

"Yep." she answered, after calming down. "I'm a scientist myself, and if I didn't think outside of the box, and often, I wouldn't be where I am today."

Nathan couldn't believe his luck. To find such an interesting person at the expo, what were the odds?

"Ah, I apologize. I should have asked for your name first." he said, apologizing. "My name is Nathan Rogers, a pleasure." he introduced.

She waved off the apology. "It's fine. You being such an interesting and funny guy more than makes up for that." she said. "My name is Tsunade Senju."

Now that made the blonde male pause for a moment. She took notice of this.

"My name, this bothers you?"

He quickly shook his head. "No." he replied. "It just caught me off-guard is all. You don't look so...you know..."

"Japanese."

"...Yeah."

"Blame genetics for that one." she shrugged. "My father was American, and my mother Japanese."

"I see." he paused for a moment. "...I know I don't have to say this since I said I had no problem with it, but I just want you to know that your name and lineage don't matter to me. You're still beautiful in my eyes."

The smile on Tsunade's face grew positively larger when she heard him say this. "I'm glad to hear that from you. I really would have hated to kick you in the balls had you tried anything." she said, thinking about the other times when her name became an issue. "Like the fools who tried something when I first defected to this country."

After hearing that, Nathan couldn't stop his own smile from forming. Not only was she smart, she was tough as nails as well. She was definitely a keeper.

"Wanna keep looking around with me?" he asked, holding out his arm.

Tsunade placed a hand over her large chest. "Why yes, I would love to."

* * *

Nathan and Tsunade had seen much of what the expo had to offer, but it paled in comparison to the animated conversations the two blondes had as they walked around, enjoying each others company. The two blondes eventually made their way over to one of the highlights of the expo, run by the man who was keeping this very expo alive and kicking.

Howard Stark.

' _Hm?'_

If his blue eyes weren't deceiving him at the moment, then he was pretty sure he had just spotted two familiar figures in front of him, as they were there to watch Stark's flying car. Looking closer, he nodded. Yep, he had just spotted Bucky and Steve, along with their dates, and Steve's date looked just miserable as he offered her some of his snack.

The busty blonde on his arm followed his line of sight.

"Do you know that soldier?" she asked, thinking he was looking at Bucky.

"I do." he replied. "He's one of my best friends, and it's because of him that I was at first alone during the expo, but it's also because of him that I was able to meet you."

She mulled over this new information for a few seconds. "We should thank him then, right?" Nathan raised a brow, wondering what she had in mind. A devilish grin made it's way onto her face. "Wanna make him jealous?"

Her grin was infectious as one made it's way onto his face in no time. "What have you got in mind?"

Unlocking her arm from his, she placed that arm of his on her shoulder as she slowly began to arch her back, making her already impressive chest seem even larger. She then proceeded to lower his hand into her cleavage.

"Listen, I may be the one initiating this, but if you so much as cop a feel, then I will tear off what makes you a man." She threatened, though it came out as a soft whisper against his ear with her face being so close to his neck. "Understand?"

The threat went right over his head as only a few select words reached his brain. "Wait, so if you tear it off, then that means you'd be willing to touch my pen-"

She jerked him hard, stopping him from finishing that sentence. "Understand?"

He nodded.

"Good, now get his attention."

The blonde began to whistle a jaunty tune that only he, Steve, and Bucky knew. It worked like a charm. His brother didn't seem all that surprised he found such a beauty, though it was Bucky who took the cake. Never had he seen one of his best friends so...out of it.

The soldier just shook his head after recovering from his shock. _'How does he do it?'_

Ignoring the smug looking smirk the younger Rogers brother was sending him, he tipped his hat to the man. He had gone out and done spectacularly.

Unfortunately for Nathan, his hand was soon removed from the valley of the gods just as the flying car on stage came crashing down, much to the embarrassment of Stark.

"I did say this would be ready in a few years, didn't I." he said, forcing a smile.

Returning his attention back to his best friends, he suddenly found himself frowning. Neither was in the same spot anymore, having vanished. Looking around, he finally spotted them heading towards the lone recruitment center in the area. This was no doubt Steve's doing.

Tsunade once more followed his line of sight. "Do you know the blonde one?"

He nodded. "Yeah, he's my older brother." he replied, fists clenched.

"You okay?"

He shook his head. "...Was there ever a point in your life when you felt useless, but you still wanted to try and make a difference?"

"...Yes."

Nathan waited for her to elaborate, but when she didn't, he moved on.

"So, you want to join the army? Make a difference in the war?" she asked.

"I do, but as a combat medic."

"Ah, you want to save lives rather than take them, but will do so if threatened." she surmised.

The blonde male nodded. "My brother and I wish to follow in our parents footsteps and help, just as they did."

"Your parents are fighting in the war right now?"

He shook his head. "They fought in the first, and the beginnings of the second.

"I see." She easily read between the lines about his parents status in the war and decided to change the subject. "Let's say that they do take the both of you, how can the two of you make a difference?"

He grew silent. "...I can't speak for my brother, but it doesn't matter if I make a difference in a battle. If my life can be used to save another's, then that was a difference." he said. "And who knows, maybe the person I saved will make a difference in the war, so in the end, I did make a difference via proxy."

"Hm-mm, well, that's certainly one way of going about making a difference." she muttered. "Let's just say hypothetically you were presented with a chance, and only one to join, would you take it?"

"In a heartbeat."

She grew silent after hearing his response, and then began to dig in her small purse. Eventually, she pulled out a stamp press, like those in the recruitment centers.

"You have your recruitment card on you?"

He nodded and gave her his information card. She stamped it and handed it back to him.

"What's this?"

"The opportunity you've been waiting for." she answered. "Remember when I said that I defected to this country?"

Nathan nodded.

"Well, the reason why is because the American government promised me a better life here, but only if I helped them with a project of theirs." she said. "Today has only been one of a handful of days that I've actually been out of the lab."

"...Considering everything you just told me, and the fact that you have a rubber stamp on hand, is it safe to assume you have a high rank within the military?"

She nodded. "Yep. Specifically within the Strategic Scientific Reserve."

' _I guess we have a lot more in common that I first thought.'_

"So, will you take this opportunity, or let it pass you by."

"When opportunity comes knocking, I'm usually home." he said, giving her a nod. "So yeah, I'm in."

"Good. I should be getting back soon-"

Before she could start to take a step forward, she felt a firm grip holding her in place. She looked back at Nathan.

"Will I ever see you again?" he asked, looking her square in the eyes.

She smiled. "I guarantee it." she said, leaning up and giving him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks again for tonight, Nathan. I'm glad I came out and met you. See you soon, soldier." she whispered.

The younger Rogers brother held his cheek and watched the most interesting woman he's ever met walk away, disappearing within the sea of people. He was looking forward to their next meeting. Looking down at the card in his hand, he let out a breath. He was a soldier now.

' _I better get home. I've got to report to basic training tomorrow at Camp Lehigh.'_

* * *

 _ **Wheaton, New Jersey – Camp Lehigh**_

In the span of a day, the lives of both Nathan and Steve had changed drastically, and all it took was a simple meeting between people. And now here they were, ready for basic training, standing shoulder to shoulder with other recruits, all of them waiting for their commanding officer.

"Recruits, attention!"

All of them stood at attention as a beautiful, raven haired woman, walked over to their group.

"Gentlemen, I'm agent Carter. I supervise all operations for this division..."

"What's with the accent, Queen Victoria." interrupted one soldier. "I thought I was signing up for the US Army."

Nathan watched as the idiot decided to open his mouth, and even make a pass at the agent. He was promptly knocked on his ass for it.

' _Moron.'_

"Agent Carter!"

The woman turned around, pressed her uniform, and saluted. "Colonel Phillips."

"I can see you're breaking in the new candidates, that's good." The older man looked down at the recruit on the dirt floor. "Get your ass up outta that dirt and stand in line at attention until somebody comes and tells you what to do."

"Yes sir!"

Nathan's attention shifted from the Colonel and agent to the man standing behind them. From the description given to him by Steve, the man standing in the back watching them was the same man who had given Steve the chance to join. Dr. Abraham Erskine.

"...And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of hell." said the Colonel, eyeing each of them, though lingering on him and Steve. "They're all yours, agent Carter."

"Right. Alright ladies, let's get started." She began to round them up, starting them off with some warm up exercises.

* * *

– _**Fourteen Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **Brooklyn, New York – June 22nd, 1943**_

' _I can't believe it's been over a year already.'_ thought Nathan. _'It only felt like it was yesterday that we were in basic training.'_

Both brothers were being transported back into familiar territory after the two had been selected for some government project. They had each been informed of said project towards the end of last year and were given the chance of backing out if they so wished. Neither had. Especially not after being told by those who had chosen them why exactly they had been chosen for.

"I know this neighborhood." muttered Steve from the back seat of the car.

Nathan nodded, having recognized it as well.

"I got beaten up in that alley, and that parking lot, and behind that diner..."

The younger Rogers brother, who was sitting up front, withheld a groan as he really wished his brother didn't bring up past beatings, with agent Carter in the car with them no less, and next to Steve. It was clear to him that his older brother had a crush on the British woman, and it was also clear to see that she was somewhat fond of him as well. The only thing stopping his brother from making a move was a severe lack of confidence.

"Did you have something against running away?" she asked, speaking for the first time.

Steve shook his head. "No, but you start running and they'll never let you stop."

Nathan nodded, agreeing with his brother on that one.

"You stand up, you push back." said the older blonde. "Can't say no forever, right?"

"I know a little of what that's like actually." she admitted. "To have every door shut in your face."

Steve gained a contemplative look. "...I guess, I mean I just don't know why you'd ever want to join up since you're a beautiful dame..."

This time, Nathan did not withhold his groan.

"I mean woman, agent!" Realizing his error, Steve quickly tried to fix it. "Not a dame, I mean, you are beautiful..."

"You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?"

Nathan snorted, _'Understatement much.'_

Steve sent his younger brother a glare to remain quiet. "...I think this is the longest conversation I've had with one." he answered honestly. "Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on."

Agent Carter raised a delicate eyebrow. "Surely you must have danced?"

"Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying, and with the past few years, it just didn't seem to matter all that much anymore." he said. "Figured I'd wait."

"For what?"

"The right partner."

The youngest passenger in the car smiled. That was a good line his brother had just used, and judging by the smile on agent Carter's face, she felt the same as well. Before he could offer his own input on the subject the car began to decelerate and began moving towards the curb. They eventually came to a stop, and the British woman was the first out, beckoning them to follow her.

"This way please."

The two brothers got out of the vehicle and followed after her as they all entered an antique store. They were greeted by a sweet looking little old lady behind the counter.

"Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" asked the old lady.

Peggy, agent Carter's first name, nodded. "Yes, but I always carry an umbrella."

The duo watched as the old lady leaned down beneath the country and just as she did, a buzzing noise was heard. Not having time to wonder what was going on, they were beckoned to follow once more. This time they were led to the back of the shop. Once they were in back, all of them stood in front of a large book case.

A few awkward seconds passed between the trio when all of a sudden a rumbling was heard and before their very eyes the large book case was splitting in half, revealing a secret entrance. Once it was fully opened, both young-men immediately took notice of all the military personnel stationed down the long hallway. They followed their guide in and it hadn't been long before she stopped once more, and this time she was looking at the youngest blonde.

"Nathan."

"Yes?"

"Your operating room is down that hallway." she said, pointing to the eastern hallway.

"Wait, you mean we're being split up?"

"Yes." she nodded. "You see, the machines being used for this project drain an enormous amount of power, and holding both experiments in the same would could prove disastrous to everyone in the room." she explained. "This is why you're being separated. Your own room will not siphon off power from this same place as Steve's room but from nine generators that we specifically acquired for this very moment."

Nathan couldn't really do anything but sigh. He already agreed to it after all. "Fine." He then looked at his brother. "Guess I'll see you later then."

The two shared an embrace.

"Don't worry, Nathan. We'll see each other once the experiment is over." Reassured Steve.

The younger blonde could only nod. He separated from his brother and bid the two farewell.

* * *

Nathan was simply in awe the moment he had stepped into his own operating room. Never had he been surrounded by this much hardware. All of the gadgets and gizmos were flickering on and off. As he kept looking around he finally spotted something he liked even more than technology.

Walking past the two armed MP's up stairs with him, he walked downstairs and simply drank in the form of the beauty in front of him. Even in a lab coat she was still stunning.

"My eyes are up here, soldier." said Tsunade, lifting up his chin.

"Heh, sorry."

She rolled her eyes. "So, you ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

The blonde beauty nodded. "Right. Okay, take off your shirt and tie." she ordered.

Doing as told, he revealed his extremely thin frame for those in the operating room to see. He then proceeded to climb into the machine before him.

"Hey..." he called Tsunade, grabbing her attention. "Since you got to see me without my shirt I think it's only fair you reciprocate." he said, grinning cheekily.

The busty blonde rolled her eyes but had a small smile on her face. She leaned in. "Tell you what. If you survive, then maybe, just maybe, I'll take off more than my shirt for you, and only you~!" she whispered seductively.

The blonde male's heart-rate suddenly increased.

"Doctor, the patient's heart-rate suddenly spiked!"

"Ignore it." said Tsunade. "Just preliminary jitters is all."

"Can't wait." he said, to excited to care about the ominous tone she used. "So, what kinda drugs are you pumping into me?"

"I won't go into specifics, but two." she answered. "The first is the creation of Dr. Erskine. The second is an original that I created using my medical prowess, and it's what got me out of Japan. I call it the Infinity Formula."

"Hm-mm, Infinity Formula." Nathan sounded it out. "What's it do?" he asked, more interested in her work than the other man's.

"In layman's terms, it slows down the aging process by creating new cells in the body every time others die." she explained. "Though I do want you to be careful. This formula doesn't make you immortal or anything. A stray bullet to the head can still kill you."

"Thanks for caring." he smiled at her. "By the way, is Steve receiving this formula as well?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Negative. Unlike Dr. Erskine, I could only create enough for one, and mine isn't as sure of a thing as his is anyways." she said, thinking of the leader of Hydra that Erskine told her about. "If my formula doesn't work, then we'd have only lost one subject instead of two, and then I'll probably be shipped back to Japan for failing, maybe."

"They shouldn't do that. It's not right."

"Agreed, but we're at war, and all that matters right now is results." she said. "So, are you feeling lucky?" she asked, twirling a vial between her fingers.

"Yep. After all, I do have lady luck standing right next to me." he replied, earning him a small kiss for his sweet words. "...Um, if this works, I mean on me, then are you going to take the formula as well?"

The blonde female looked at him confusingly.

Nathan let out a small sigh. "...I don't want to walk this earth alone ya know." he mumbled, a bit of red dusting his cheeks as he looked away from her.

The Japanese beauty opened her mouth to say something and abruptly closed it. What could she say to something like that? She looked down at him with caring eyes as she ran her hand through his hair.

"You really are a smooth talker, aren't you." Nathan smiled, thinking he was about to get another kiss on the cheek, but instead felt his chest tighten. Looking down, he saw the straps across his chest. "Are we ready to proceed?!" Tsunade asked of her assistants.

"Yes ma'am! We've injected the penicillin and all machines are one-hundred percent ready to go on your mark."

Tsunade nodded. "Good, then let's get this underway. I'm sure Erskine and his staff are already getting started."

Jumping down from the platform supporting the machine, Tsunade moved over to a small console that had several levers on it. Moving the first, the machine Nathan was strapped into began to move before closing up from the front. The second lever was pulled and tiny needles suddenly pierced Nathan's skin. Each one injecting various amounts of the two formulas.

"First serum applied successfully..." announced the lead assistant. "...Second formula also applied successfully."

The busty blonde nodded. "Apply the Vita-Rays." she ordered.

The lead assistant nodded and began to turn a wheel next to her, slowly applying the rays.

"Twenty percent..." she announced. "...Forty percent."

Everyone had to turn away from the small window on the machine as the light coming from the inside was simply to bright for their eyes to handle. They put on goggles.

"...Sixty percent...Eighty percent..."

The half-American half-Japanese woman heard the screams coming from inside the machine, as she was sure the others did as well, and she pointedly ignored them. She hated hearing Nathan in pain, but this needed to be done. She needed to succeed. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed all of the lights flicker in the room and suspected it was the other operating room.

"One-Hundred percent!"

As if on cue, their own room did a repeat of just a few seconds ago, but it was much worse than a simple flicker of the lights. Multiple generators blew out, causing a small fire within the lab.

"Get that fire out!" she barked. "And open up that hatch!"

At her order, the assistants got in gear and began to put out the fire while the hatch on the machine was beginning to open up. A frail looking man of 5'6 and just over 90lbs had entered the machine, and a man of 6'1, and over 189lbs, exited from it. The blonde hair atop his head that was combed neatly was now untamed and spiky, with the most prominent being the two bangs framing his strong facial structure. His physique was beyond that of what the best Olympic athletes could ever hope to attain.

Nathan was let out of his straps and he stumbled forward, obviously not used to all the extra weight and height now apart of his body, and landed right into the open arms of Tsunade.

"You know, you're lucky that I like you." she suddenly said. "Anyone else who would've used my breasts as landing pads would have gotten their ass kicked."

"Sorfhy." His voice came out muffled between her bosoms. "Sorry." he said again, before looking himself up and down. "Guess everything worked out huh."

"Yeah, I think it worked." she replied, a smile on her own face.

Before any of them could celebrate their accomplishment the building shook violently and gunshots could be heard. Everyone looked up at the MP's, and before anyone could ask what was going on, the two men stationed to protect the room turned their weapons on the group below them, and opened fire.

The first body hit the ground with a sickening squelch and none could tear their eyes away from the dead body. That was when Nathan suddenly felt himself being pushed backwards with a surprising amount of force by Tsunade, right back into the machine. Realizing what she was doing, he tried to get out of the machine, so he could help everyone, but his new body wasn't listening to him. He was trapped in the machine as the hail of bullets continued.

"Tsunade!"

Nathan began to bang on the door hatch, trying to get out. That was when he noticed the small dent he had just made. Underestimating his own strength, he began to punch at the door more frequently but that was when he heard the shooting stop. His heart sunk, when the shooting stopped that only meant one thing. His blows came faster and harder, and it wasn't long before the hatch decided it had had enough and he spiraled out face first, and into a pool of blood on the floor.

The entire floor was covered in red, along with the bodies of all those who were present just seconds ago. Looking around, he finally spotted the one he was searching for, and her chest was still rising! He could still save her!

Rushing to her side, he gently picked up her head, looking at her blood stained face.

"It's going to be okay, Tsunade." He reassured. "I'll get one of the doctors from the other room to help you-"

She placed a finger on his mouth, silencing him. "...Not enough time." she said, though it came out as nothing more than a weak whisper. "Losing to much blood."

Nathan grit his teeth as hot tears streamed down his face. For all the power he now had at his very finger tips, he'd never felt so useless in his entire life.

"I'm sorry." he whispered. "I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you."

The woman on the ground pulled him closer. "It was m-my choice." she stuttered. "P-Protecting you is going to be the biggest d-difference in this war. So p-prove me right..." she said, smiling as her hands slowly began to fall from his face.

The blonde super-soldier gently closed her eyes and offered up a small prayer for her. "...I promise I'll prove you right. Goodbye, Tsunade Senju." He placed a small kiss atop her forehead.

Slowly leaving her side, he began to walk up the stairs that would lead him outside. He was going to catch the bastards who had done this and make them pay. Unfortunately, he was stopped by four men with sidearms.

"Move."

None of the men moved, despite sweating a bit under the blonde man's intense stare.

"If all of you don't move within the next five seconds then I guarantee that none of you will ever be able to hold a gun again, or walk straight for months." he threatened, and just to further extenuate his point, he crushed the metal railing next to him.

"I'm afraid they can't do that son."

Nathan frowned. He recognized that voice.

"Why is that, Colonel Phillips?"

"We've already lost your brother to the public eye, and we can't afford to let you do the same." said the older man. "Not when the two of you were supposed to be our secret weapons to ending this war. To put it more simply, the moment your brother stepped out into the light your fate was decided."

"Explain."

The Colonel let the man's tone slide considering what just happened. "You my boy are going to be the darkness to your brothers light. You're going to be the soldier who remains nameless, he who will go un-thanked, and he who does the jobs no one else can, or believes we do." explained Phillips. "You ship out for advanced training first thing tomorrow morning."

"...Yes sir." he gritted out, angry that he couldn't do anything to those responsible. Looking over the railing, and at Tsunade's face, he vowed then and there to make sure that everyone who was apart of today paid for what they did.

* * *

– _**One Day Later –**_

Nathan was completely drained, both physically and mentally. A full day had already passed since the incident, and true to the Colonels words, he was already on his way to the advanced training facility. In those few hours of the aftermath, he had briefly spoken with Steve, and it didn't take a genius to see that his brother was also distraught over the death of the man who literally made him what he is today. After they had spoken, they each gave the other a hug, and promised to meet with the other after the war was over.

He didn't know where Steve was going, or what the Colonel had in store for him. He just hoped that both he and Steve lived up to the expectations both deceased scientists had of them.

"Are we there yet?"

He'd been riding in the back of a black car for what felt like hours now, and he wanted off so he could begin his training. Sitting in the back of a car with his thoughts wasn't doing him any good right now. He needed something to occupy his mind from thinking of the past.

The driver didn't answer, though he did feel the car starting to slow down before it stopped in front of a random, nondescript building. _'This has to be the place.'_ There was nothing around it, which made it the perfect place to hold secret training facilities.

"I'll radio in to see if they're ready to receive you. Wait one moment please."

Shrugging, he stepped out of the car and began to stretch his stiff body.

"They're ready, go on in."

Nathan nodded and walked towards the building, quickly making it to the entrance. He stepped in and was immediately greeted by a very beautiful woman.

"Hello." he greeted.

She gave him a nod. "Hello. My name is Adriana Soria, Ex-Marine, and your new instructor."

"I'm-"

"I know who you are." she interrupted. "I've been briefed by my superior on your special status."

Not really knowing how to respond to that, he moved on. "Right, well, what am I going to be learning here?"

"A little bit of everything, but mostly unconventional warfare." she answered. "Welcome to the United States Special Forces program, Mr. Rogers."

* * *

 _ **End of Chapter One**_

* * *

 _ **This chapter was heavily influenced by "Captain America: The First Avenger" though it did have a slew of slight modifications; dialogue mostly. For those of you who are worried I might be bringing in more characters from the Narutoverse, don't be. Tsunade and only one other(As of me writing this) are going to be the only characters you'll see. You may see a few other things bleeding in from the Narutoverse, like you'll see in the next chapter, but no specific names will be mentioned.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Here's the second re-written chapter. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

 _Nathan nodded and walked towards the building, quickly making it to the entrance. He stepped in and was immediately greeted by a very beautiful woman._

" _Hello." he greeted._

 _She gave him a nod. "Hello. My name is Adriana Soria, Ex-Marine, and your new instructor."_

" _I'm-"_

" _I know who you are." she interrupted. "I've been briefed by my superior on your special status."_

 _Not really knowing how to respond to that, he moved on. "Right, well, what am I going to be learning here?"_

" _A little bit of everything, but mostly unconventional warfare." she answered. "Welcome to Special Ops, Mr. Rogers."_

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Eleven Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **December 16th, 1943**_

Nathan inhaled a deep breath, and then exhaled. He was currently sitting in the middle of a vacant room, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. Everything he had done and gone through was for today. It had been a long and grueling process for the other super-soldier, but the training he had endured up to this point was near completion. Yes, after nearly an entire year now, he would soon be joining the war.

All that remained between him and his goal was one final test.

His instructor, or as he would so aptly call her when she was out of earshot, slave driver, Adriana had designed three tests for him. All of them based on everything he had learned while there. The first test was a written exam which dealt with hypothetical situations. The second dealt with the use of firearms.

The blonde soldier let out a sigh of relief, reminiscing about the two previous tests, which he had just passed a few hours ago. Had he failed just one of them, then Adriana would have failed him on the spot for all three, despite all the work he'd put in the past year. His failure would have then reached his own superior and he would have been forced to undergo yet another year of training, which he did not want to do. Not because it was hard, no, because everyday he wasn't out there fighting with the gifts he's been given more people died, and that would weigh heavily on his mind.

Especially after he had learned the history of warfare from Adriana. The training to use multiple types of firearms was tough, as was learning a hybrid martial art, but neither of those compared to what he learned about wartime and humanity. When he had first arrived at this facility, he knew some aspects of the two, but now...now he knew differently. Adriana had stripped away his naivety and forced him to see what humanity was really like, and he didn't like it.

Truly, it was sickening to see what a man could do to another man during times of war.

Thankfully it wasn't training all the time, he did have some downtime as well. It was during such times that he had gotten to know his instructor a bit. He had to. She was the only decent individual around he could have a conversation with. There were others in the building, but they were mostly staff who were around to monitor his health and whatnot.

Speaking with the Ex-Marine isn't all he did though, and he now recalled the exact words she had told him the first day he had arrived.

' _Nathan, during our time together, I'm going to be your best friend, your lover, your confidant, and the bitch who's going to push you past your limits.'_

Her last statement was quite the understatement. Adriana had indeed pushed him past his limits, and then some. He never once believed he would be able to call a woman such a derogatory term, but she had gotten him to do it. Though that wasn't the part he had been hung up about. It was her other statement, about them being lovers.

He hadn't been sure how to handle that, and part of it was because he was a virgin and just downright nervous. The other part of him still had Tsunade on his mind. He honestly didn't know what he felt for the now deceased woman, but with her death still fresh in his mind, he really didn't want to try anything sexual, with anyone, and lord knows Adriana tried. As time passed on however, he could no longer refuse her advances. His body wouldn't let him, and he gave in.

Aside from training to take his mind off the war, and using sex to relieve the stress his body had, he had begun to experiment with something he had noticed about himself. He had first come to notice something as amiss when he had been sparring with Adriana one day. Her movements, they had slowed down to such a degree that he could easily predict where she would attack next.

"Nathan."

The blonde super-soldier's musings were interrupted by his lover.

"Are you prepared for the final test?"

He released another breath, and mentally nodded to himself. He was good to go. "I'm ready."

"Good. Get into position."

Getting up and walking to the opposite side of the room, the two looked at one another, bowed, and got in their respective stances.

"What are the rules?"

"There are no rules in mortal combat, especially during a war." she replied. "If you must know, I'm going to come at you as if you were an enemy from the Axis Powers. You ready?"

He nodded, understanding now.

"...Begin!"

Nathan was off to the races, bursting forward the second the last syllable escaped her lips, and the to her credit she reacted instantaneously, throwing one of her combat knives at him, and drawing another. Though he reacted even faster, thanks to the special ability of his eyes, slid underneath the weapon and brought his arms up, stopping the downward strike from slicing him in half.

Not to be deterred, Adriana spat into his eyes, forcing his human instinct to the surface. Nathan began to subconsciously release his grip, to wipe away the fluid from his eyes but stopped himself. He rapidly blinked a few times, clearing his vision.

Unfortunately, in those few seconds that his grip became lax, his instructor had preformed a reverse handspring, putting some distance between she and him, but not before kicking her legs out. Nathan had barely managed to crane his neck upwards, flowing with the first attack as it missed his chin. The second attempt by Adriana had been caught however. Though judging by the look on her face, she wasn't worried about being caught in his vice grip. Instead, she used her own strength, and his, to lift her entire body from it's current position, lifting herself above the blonde, and once more attempted to bring her knife down atop him.

Seeing as both of his hands were preoccupied at the moment, he had no choice but to release her from his grip, lest he get killed. The woman in front of him didn't let up, and pressed her advantage as he kept backpedaling away from her.

He avoided the low sweeping kick, and slapped away her thrusting hand whilst simultaneously blocking her other free hand with his forearm. His eyes were completely focused on her entire being, watching as the knife kept switching from one hand to the other at an astounding rate, and that was when he made his move.

Like a snake coiled and ready to attack, his hand shot out lightning fast, grabbing hold of the wrist that held the weapon. Applying pressure, he forced her to drop the weapon.

"Argh!"

Before he could press her, she suddenly flipped her body laterally, to match with her twisted wrist, and kneed him in the groin. The sudden attack on his genitals was felt throughout his entire body, and he forcefully shoved her away from him. Not ready for the force behind the shove, Adriana had nearly stumbled. Nathan grit his teeth, pushed past the pain, and was on her. His first and only strike was clean and heavy, doubling her over. He then proceeded to slip his foot behind her leg, interlocking them, and then slammed her onto her back.

 _Thud!_

He went in for the kill. He cupped underneath her right knee with his right arm and he then spun around, sitting on her, his arm still locked with her knee. He then proceeded to fall onto his side as he pulled her knee closer to his body, hugging it tightly with both arms now, applying his strength.

During their time getting to know one another, he had learned just why this warrior of a woman was out of the core. She had sustained a devastating knee injury during her time served, and the doctors told her that it would take years to heal, and should she suffer another major injury to it, before fully healed, then she could kiss her chances of returning to active service goodbye.

Adriana was gritting her teeth in absolute agony as her fists clenched tighter and tighter. Her knee was in some serious pain, and she could feel it breaking. She cursed the blonde in front of her as she kept punching the back of his head as hard as she could but to no avail. Her student had compacted himself tightly, rendering her attacks useless.

Nathan kept adding more and more pressure every few seconds, and if she didn't give up soon, he would end up breaking it.

' _Show no mercy.'_

It was a rule that Adriana kept drilling into him, and one he was going to abide by. He then suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder and he immediately let go. It was over, and he had won. Untangling himself from her, he stood up and gave her a once over. The woman was sweating buckets and panting like crazy, despite their fight lasting less than two minutes.

"...I won."

"Yeah, you did." she panted. "You did exactly what I taught you. I'll inform your superiors that you're ready."

He nodded and offered her a hand. "You need any help?"

She grunted and allowed herself to be picked up. "Just take me over to the locker room."

Doing as told, he carried her over to the room, and put her down before her own personal locker. He then moved over to his own, opened it up, and began to remove his clothes, not bothering to hide his nudity. He then walked over to the showers. Mastering his emotions when the situation called for it was another lesson Adriana had drilled into him.

' _If my life is threatened while I'm naked then that doesn't mean I'm not going to fight for my life just because I'm embarrassed.'_

That was the example Adriana had given him, and she was right. When your life was in danger it didn't matter how you felt because if you die, then you ain't feeling anything else ever again. Letting out a sigh, and flinching a bit when his warm feet touched the cold tile floor of the shower room, he picked a spot, turned the nobs, and let the warm water run over his body. He sighed once more, this time in content as he felt his body relaxing.

' _I wonder how long it'll be until they ship me out? And where?'_

* * *

– _**Lemon –**_

* * *

His ears suddenly twitched a bit as he caught the sound of the shower room door opening. He suddenly felt a warm embrace around his penis and two soft mounds on his back.

"...What are you doing?" he grunted out.

"What does it look like. I'm going to relieve your body of the stress it's acquired~." One hand stayed on his member while her other began to roam over his rock hard body.

"You know that's not what I meant, Adriana. With the way your knee is-!"

Adriana felt him stiffen for the briefest of seconds and knew he was ready. Moving her free hand to join her other, she caught his seed as it shot out.

"That's your first shot." she said, licking her hands clean. "How are you feeling now?"

"Better." he admitted. "But don't just brush aside my concern for your health."

She sighed in annoyance. "My knee is fine, see." She moved it around. "I took my medication just a few seconds ago."

Nathan frowned when hearing her say that. Another thing that he had learned about her was the fact that she was on medication, an experimental kind no less. From what she told him it was supposed to accelerate the healing process of her body, but she needed to take them regularly. To him, the medication was nothing but a crutch she was relying on, and nothing he had done or could say would stop her from taking them. Not when she was determined to fight for her country.

"If you just did, then you shouldn't be concerned about my stress and should be resting-"

"That's were you're wrong, Nathan." she said, interrupting him. "You as a whole are by far much more important than me, or anyone else in this building. It doesn't matter if I'm in pain at the moment or not. I am not the one entering this war with the hopes of a nation resting on my back."

The blonde didn't need to be told what was at stake. He knew that better than anyone.

"Nobody may have told you this to your face Nathan so I will. You are now the property of the United States Government, and your actions out on the field represent the country. The good, the bad, and the ugly." she explained. "So if you make a mistake out in the field because of something that I didn't do to help you, then we all feel it. Do you think I'm doing what I'm doing right now because I want to?"

Nathan remained silent.

"Everything that I've done for you up to this point is so you can succeed outside of these walls." she said. "Because let me tell you, once you step on the battlefield, you're stepping into hell. If us screwing for a few hours alleviates that pressure from your mind and body, then I've done my job." she explained to him.

Deep down, Nathan knew Adriana had not laid with him because she wanted to, or because she liked him, but because it was an order. To hear it straight from her mouth though stung a bit.

"Now, do you have anything else to say, or can I continue my job?"

He didn't say anything, what could he say. She took his silence as his answer and continued.

Gingerly, she stepped in front of him, got down on her knees, and shoved all eight inches of his erect manhood into her mouth and down her throat, gagging a bit as she did so. His own knees began to buckle from the sensation. Looking down, he locked eyes with the woman, and couldn't help but be more aroused by the lewd expression on her face as she went back and forth.

Adriana's eyes widened when Nathan suddenly grabbed her head and forced his manhood deeper down her throat than she'd ever done before. She had to grab hold of his waist so he wouldn't slip out.

"That...was your...second shot." she coughed, swallowing most of the load in her mouth. Wiping the rest away, and letting it go down the drain, she got up and turned around. Using both hands, she spread herself open for him. "Come."

Standing there fully erect, staring at her wet womanhood, Nathan walked forward. Placing his hands on her waist, he entered.

"Mm~!"

His movements started off slow as his hands roamed over her body but then began to pick up the pace as he started pounding her harder, forcing her to grip what she could to steady herself. After a few minutes of rough sex, she felt him exit and knew he had climaxed inside of her. Letting his seed drip out of her, she walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, and then hoisted herself up so she was eye level with him.

"This time we do it from the front, but I want it in the back."

Confused as to what she meant, he suddenly felt her hand grab his member and guide it towards were her butt was. His eyes widened a fraction before he looked at her and she nodded. He nodded as well and the two were back to it in a few seconds, and kept at it until Nathan was stress free.

* * *

– _**Lemon Over –**_

* * *

 _ **~Two Days Later~**_

 _Bang!_

Nathan was roused from his slumber as the small aircraft he was in suddenly dropped, making him not only bang his head, but giving him a sense of weightlessness, which he didn't appreciate. Shaking it off and seeing as he wasn't going to go back to sleep anytime soon, he sat up in his seat, and replayed the series of events that had occurred just twenty-four hours ago.

His orders had finally come in, but strangely enough so had some for Adriana. Well, hers were more of an invitation. She informed him that some group called AIM had offered to turn her into a super-soldier, so she could return to the war faster, and all she had to do was say yes. So while his training under her was complete, he could still potentially work with her in the future, depending on what her mission was.

' _Operation: Crossroads huh...'_

The blonde knew that whoever was in charge of this little operation didn't care about the well being of his friend. All they wanted was a willing test subject. Plus, he was positive that Adriana wouldn't be receiving the same formula he and Steve had received, but something else, something new, something not created by two geniuses.

He had of course told her all of this, and while she told him she valued his opinion on the matter, she was still going to go through with it. All he could really do now was pray it was a success, and hope she came out unscathed.

"You okay back there?!"

"Yeah!" he replied. "How much longer anyways?" he asked, speaking into the headset.

His orders didn't say where he was going, or what division of the military. So he was basically flying blind with his pilot, a man called Terrence Rhodes. He was a good man, if a bit loud, though considering what his occupation was, it wasn't all that much of a surprise.

"About ten minutes until we reach Fairfax County." replied the pilot. "Why, you got some other place to be?"

Nathan cracked a smile. He appreciated the man's sunny attitude during such times. "Nah, just curious is all."

Terrence nodded, a grin on his face.

"So, any plans once this war is over?"

The blonde closed his eyes momentarily, thinking about that for a moment. "Hm-mm, nothing at the moment. Right now my only plans are to enter the war and help end it as soon as possible. You?"

"Pretty much the same as you..."

"Pretty much?"

"...Alright, I got a girl waiting for me back home." admitted Terrence, cracking under the pressure of the man's stare. "We're getting married the moment I touch back down on American soil, and then we plan on having a kid."

"Sounds nice." said Nathan, a bit envious. "Any names yet?"

"Yeah, Jeanette and James."

"You expecting more than one?" he asked, since raising two kids after a war would be tough.

Terrence shook his head. "No, but it's better to be prepared just in case what you were hoping for doesn't happen."

The super-soldier nodded, that made sense. "James huh. That's a good name. I've got a buddy named James. He's fighting as we speak."

"What rank he hold?"

"Sergeant."

"Hm-mm, how long he been in uniform?"

"It'll be two years soon."

"He about the same age as you?"

"Somewhat. He's a few years older than me." answered Nathan. "So with any luck, if you do end up with a boy, he'll turn out just as great as my friend."

"Let's hope so friend."

Terrence suddenly got quiet and held his headset closer, and nodded.

"Sit back buddy. We're gonna be landing soon, I just got confirmation from air control."

Nathan nodded and sat back. A few seconds later he felt the descent of the aircraft, and eventually felt the wheels touch the ground before they came to a gradual stop.

"Welcome to Virginia."

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

The blonde sighed for the umpteenth time today. After landing, he had bid Terrence farewell and had been escorted towards a black vehicle, and then another, and so on and so forth. The latest vehicle has been driving him around aimlessly, trying to disorient his sense of direction. It wasn't working.

He knew secrecy was needed when it came to his particular situation, but giving him the run around for the past couple of hours was a bit ridiculous. He only wanted to help here.

Even his brother was doing his part. Granted, selling defense bonds on a stage with various beautiful women dancing behind you wasn't fighting on the frontlines, but at least it was something that was allowing Steve to help those in the war. Though in his opinion, he should scrap the costume that they dressed him in, especially in those films they had cast him in. Though it did translate well into the comic book they'd made of his brother.

' _Captain America huh.'_

His thoughts on the nickname his brother had earned, along with his efforts towards helping were soon interrupted as the car came to a creeping halt.

"We here?" he questioned.

"We are sir."

"Good."

Opening the door, he stepped out of the car and began to stretch his body. Using another nifty ability provided by his eyes, he was able to see further than normal, and in the dark.

' _The Offices of Strategic Services.'_ If he recalled, this branch of the military was a small intelligence agency that dealt with espionage.

"If you will please follow me inside. The director is waiting for you."

Nathan nodded and followed his guide inside. Once in, he began to look around as subtly as he could manage, taking in as much as he could. This agency truly lived up to it's name as he had yet to identify anything of significance, anywhere.

"The director is inside of this room."

"Does this director of yours have a name?" asked the blonde, because he's yet to hear one.

"I'm afraid only those who work within the agency are privy to that intel. Secrecy and all. I'm sure you understand."

"Wait, so you're not even part of the agency?"

"No sir."

Nate opened his mouth to say something but closed it. He was flabbergasted here.

"Might as well get this over with, and meet the man, woman, or wizard behind the curtain."

* * *

The room he just entered was near pitch black, and only the single light bulb in the center of the room was providing illumination. Using his eyes once more he was able to see a man sitting just behind the light, looking at him. At least he thought he was looking at him. The man before him had a mask on. Either the person in front of him knew about his special eyes, or he was just that paranoid. He was thinking it was latter.

"Have a seat, Mr. Rogers."

Nathan nodded and took a seat across the man.

"I'm going to get straight to the point of why you're here, if that's alright with you."

"That's fine, but first, your name."

The man in the mask hesitated. "...Jack Fury."

Nathan's eyes widened before they narrowed. "Prove it." If the man was truly who he said he was, then he was speaking to a living legend here. This was a man who had fought alongside Union Jack in World War I, and against the Red Baron.

Not liking the idea of having to prove who he said he was, he still did as asked. The blonde in front of him was pivotal in his plan for ending this war faster.

The blonde super-soldier couldn't believe his eyes. It was Jack Fury alright. He remembers seeing this man's face in all the papers that his father had collected during the first world war. Though now he was an old man, looking to be in his late eighties.

"How are you still alive? You're supposed to be dead."

"Faked it."

"Why?"

"So I could deceive my enemies and fight the unseen threats that threaten my home, which ties into why you were brought here." said Fury, getting this conversation back on track. "I have a mission that is in need of a man of your particular skills."

"What's the mission?"

"You're going to travel to the Empire of Japan, in the pacific, and infiltrate the terrorist organization known simply as, The Hand."

"The Hand?"

Fury nodded. "Correct. The organization is very old, very traditional, only modernizing when it's completely necessary, and it consists of shinobi."

It took Nathan a few seconds to process that last bit of info. "Shinobi? As in ninja? Are you pranking me right now?"

"No."

"...Okay, I'll bite on the ninja, but what exactly do you want me to do about them?"

"Cripple them, destroy them, become their leader and remove them from action, I don't care what you do." he stated. "I just need them out of the war in the pacific. Any other questions?"

"Yeah, when do I ship out?"

* * *

 _ **~One Week Later~**_

Nathan took a deep breath, and exhaled. He'd been doing this for the past couple of seconds, ever since he'd been dropped behind enemy lines. From his current position in the small town of Numazu, he was about seven-hundred and seventy-five miles away from Nagasaki, his target destination.

Days before leaving for Japan, Fury had informed him of the spy he had on the inside, and it was at this person's order that he be dropped off so far away. To avoid detection of the Japanese military, and those who operate within The Hand.

He asked Fury why he was even needed if he already had a man on the inside, and the old man simply told him that two were better than one. Plus, this inside man was his only way into the organization. When he asked Fury about this, the man told him that even he didn't know how people joined, and left this up to his spy.

The super-soldier sighed. This whole secret process of joining the organization smelled really fishy to him, and it wasn't because he was near an ocean. Well, whatever it was he had to do, he would deal with it when it came up.

After checking himself over for any possible injury, along with the gear he was given, and would soon have to dispose of, he decided it was time to get a move on. Spotting his mode of transportation from afar, he began to slip and out of the shadows with ease until he reached his train. Apparently, this would take him all the way to Nagasaki, one way, according to the inside man.

Seeing as all he could do in this situation was trust Fury, and his spy, he quietly climbed atop the last car on the tracks, but momentarily paused before entering. Turning his attention to the east, he spotted the fabled Mt. Fuji off in the distance. It's eerie beauty shining in all it's glory with the moon as it's backdrop. He shook off the mesmerizing sight.

' _Well, that was certainly odd.'_

Sparing the mountain one last look, he entered the car, stowing himself away.

* * *

' _Ugh...'_

Nathan slowly picked himself up off the hard wood floor, and very slowly began to stretch his very stiff body. Judging by the small amount of sunshine coming in through the cracks in the wood, it was still very early in the morning.

'Note to self: Don't sleep in a cramped area next time.'

Once he felt his body was loose, he thoroughly began to remove all traces of his presence, and quietly slipped out of the small hatch located on the floor of the car. Ignoring the smell, and the gravel beneath his body, he crawled out from underneath the car and hid in a secluded spot. He began to survey his surroundings.

' _Hm, let's see, where is it...'_

According to Fury, the man's spy had set up various markers throughout the area, and beyond, that he had to identify and follow. They would eventually lead him to the hideout of the organization. Using his enhanced eyesight, he scouted the area and was able to spot the first one.

' _Found the first one.'_

It was about a hundred yards away from his current location, and it was a picture of a shinobi weapon. Looking around once more, and not seeing another living soul, he dashed from his position, kicking up dirt, and reached the marker. Now he had to look for the next one.

' _This is going to take a while.'_

* * *

After spending over two hours searching for all of the markers set up by the inside man, he had finally reached the last one. The reason he knew it was the last was because there was nothing but water and an island in front of him, surrounded by some deadly looking whirlpools.

' _This is it, right?'_

Taking a step forward, as he wanted to see how deep the water was, he suddenly felt himself hit a solid object, but that wasn't right. There wasn't anything in front of him. Sticking his hand out, he ran it over the invisible surface, and sure enough, there it was.

' _I wonder if The Hand is responsible for this?'_ he thought, and soon another thought came to him. _'I wonder...'_

Once he activated his eyes, a whole new scene was in front of him. The wall was clear as day to him now, and where once there stood nothing but ocean in front of him now stood a pathway that led straight to the island in front of him. He suddenly cursed. His eyes spotted a figure approaching from the island, and he had no way of defending himself if this person became hostile as he had discarded all of his weapons and gear before coming here.

' _Unarmed combat it is.'_

The mysterious figure was a few feet away, and he still couldn't make out the person because of the wall in front of him. The wall came down, but so did his guard. He knew there was someone behind the wall, but he would have never expected to see this person.

"...You're supposed to be dead."

There in front of him, clear as day, was Tsunade Senju.

"Hello, Nathan." she greeted. "And I can assure you I'm as alive as you are. I am no ghost."

Nathan's widened eyes suddenly narrowed in anger. "...Why?" he asked. "If you were alive this entire time, then why did you pretend to be dead!? Do you have any idea what your death did to me! How I kept blaming myself, believing it was my fault!" he shouted in rage. A part of him died that day along with her.

The busty blonde remained calm amidst his outburst. "I apologize for that, truly I do, but it was a very necessary evil."

"How?!" he snarled. "How was doing what you put me through a necessary evil!"

"It hardened you." she answered.

He refused to admit she was right, and merely stayed silent.

A silence fell upon the two of them as neither spoke. Eventually, after a few seconds, Nathan had been able to calm down a bit. He was still very upset about learning the truth, but his rational kicked in. He had a mission to accomplish. This war was bigger than him and his problems.

"...Since you're here, then that means you're the insider."

She nodded. "Correct. I've been under now for three years."

He frowned when hearing the answer. It was what he was expecting, but at the same time it wasn't. Just thinking about the sequence of events as they played, he looked at her.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, what I did back in the lab was so I could remain hidden." she said. "It was so I could deceive any who would hamper the mission."

The blonde super-soldier nodded slowly, as he had found out it was Hydra who had staged the whole operation back in Brooklyn, during the operations. He didn't like the fact she lied to him in order to fool their enemies and accomplish her goal, but he understood, and frankly, that's all he could do now.

* * *

After the whole situation at the entrance, Tsunade had begun to guide him back to their HQ, which just happened to be on an 'uninhabited' island just off the mainland of the Nagasaki Prefecture. She also began to explain a few things about the organization.

Primarily, it's hierarchy.

At the top of the organization was a person simply referred to as The Master, who oversaw everything. Below that person were the five kage. They were the Hokage, Raikage, Tsuchikage, Mizukage, and the Kazekage. He wasn't all that surprised to find out that the woman next to him was the Hokage.

She then proceeded to inform him that all five kage were ranked in terms of ability and skill, with the Hokage having the most of all five, and she was thus give role of second-in-command. She was only second to the Master in terms of authority. However, she also told him that despite all five kage being under one single master, they were still separate from one another and would try and prove their worth over the others, hoping to be named as second-in-command.

Below each kage were their subordinates; jōnin, chūnin, and genin. Each was a rank that was given when a kage felt their subordinate was ready to advance. Though she told him not to be fooled. Just because a person held a certain rank did not mean they were always superior to someone with a lower rank.

During their walk, she had also shown him the various training grounds, the armory, library, and then finally his own lodgings. Normally, from what Tsunade had told him, he would have been given his own small home, but to his surprise he would instead be living within Tsunade's home. The reason behind this was simple. He was to become her apprentice. She informed him that kage's could take up to two apprentices to train, and he was going to be one of hers, albeit her second. She already had another.

' _Namora huh. Can't wait to meet you.'_

"So, now that I've shown you around, do you have any questions?"

He would have asked her more about this 'Master' of hers but refrained. She had supposedly already told him all she knew, so he would instead ask her something else that was bothering him.

"Yeah, I've got a question. How does one usually go about joining this organization?" he asked. He didn't say anything, but he'd seen the looks being sent to him by his soon-to-be comrades, along with their mutterings. Something about him not going through the ritual.

"You're either born with the blood of a previous member and gain entrance, or we kill you and then resurrect you." she answered.

Nathan grimaced when hearing the last option. "Well, I know I'm not dead, so how did I get in?"

"Don't worry about it." she waved off. "I bypassed that step for you."

The blonde super-soldier, soon-to-be shinobi, gained a very nasty feeling in the pit of his stomach. If she told him not to think about it then all he would do is think about it until he found an answer, and he would, with or without Tsunade's help. He gave her a nod.

"Good, anything else?"

"No."

She nodded and then beckoned for him to follow her. The blonde Hokage led him deeper into the small island, to a very tall, and wide, wall. The entrance had a very strange symbol carved into it.

"That symbol there belongs to my Clan, the Senju."

"Okay." he said, not really knowing what else to say to that. "...Does that mean that this entire area belongs to you?"

"Correct. Each kage has their own compound where their subordinates live, who all become apart of their kage's Clan once they join, receiving each kage's surname." she explained.

Nathan found that a bit odd but went with it. He followed after her as she entered the largest home in the compound. She didn't bother showing him the entire house and merely showed him the rooms. Her own, Namora's, and his. Opening the door, he stepped inside and was amazed. It was big, much much to big for one person. She sat down on his bed while he took a spot on the floor in front of her.

"Today marks the day in which your old life ends, and your new life begins." she said. "I hereby grant you the status of genin under the banner of the Hokage, and entrance into my Clan under the banner of the Senju." she recited. "Now, normally, all those who enter my Clan receive my surname, but you're a bit of a special case, and I feel something different is in order." Tsunade paused for a bit. "...I discard the name Nathan Rogers, as it is proof of your past, and give you the name Uzumaki Naruto, your new future. Do you accept?"

The blonde male froze. Of all the things he expected to give up during this mission, his name was not one of them. His name was the only remaining thing his parents had left him, and he didn't want to give it up.

Tsunade patiently waited for him to answer. This wasn't the first time she's had to take away a person's name, their identity, and it probably won't be the last. People like the man before her, who tried to keep something from their past, were usually the ones who had it all taken away. Vice versa, those who were allowed to keep a piece of their past were only permitted to do so because they had already discarded the rest.

"...I accept."

She nodded. "Good. Now please show me your arm, and try not to flex."

Wondering where she was going with this, he suddenly felt a small prick on his arm. "What was that for?"

"This here is a vial of your own blood." she said, showing him the vial. "We do this to everyone who joins."

"Why?"

"For tracking purposes."

The blonde super-soldier turned shinobi read between the lines. _'It's so they can find you and kill you.'_

"Why would you need this for?"

"Because like all organizations, we to have our own defectors, rare as they may be." she explained to him. "We preform a ritual with the blood to track you down."

"What kind of ritual?"

"I'm not going to go into specifics, since I plan on teaching you about it later, but do you recall seeing one thing and then another at the entrance?"

Naruto nodded his head.

"We use the mystic arts here, and with these arts we are able to preform all sorts of feats many would deem impossible."

' _Mystic arts...'_

"Anything else you want to know?"

"Yeah, the name Naruto Uzumaki, what does it mean?"

"Two things actually, but first, it's Uzumaki Naruto." she corrected. "While we're in Japan, and here on the island, you will introduce yourself as such. Last name first and first name last." she said. "Feel free to announce yourself differently when away from here, or on a mission though."

The blonde male rolled his eyes. This whole name pronunciation just sounded tedious to him.

"As for what it means, the name Naruto means maelstrom and the name Uzumaki means whirlpool."

"How did you come up with them?"

"I got inspired by the many whirlpools surrounding the island, and by the violent storms that inhabit the oceans just to the north of us."

"...I see."

"So you do. Well, I'll leave and let you rest since I'm sure you're tired after your long travel, plus with everything you've just learned." she said. "I'll explain everything else tomorrow morning."

He nodded. "See you then."

The moment she had gotten off his bed and closed the door behind her, his body was off the ground and falling atop the bed. She was right. He needed rest, for once tomorrow came, his new life would begin.

* * *

 _ **~Following Day~**_

"Naruto, I wish to introduce you to my other student, Namora."

The newest shinobi to join drank in the full appearance of the woman before him, and he liked what he saw. She was beautiful, of that there was no doubt, but what he found most captivating about her were her eyes. Like his they were blue, and like his they were sharp. The woman standing in front of him is a warrior down to the bone.

"...Why so blue?" He couldn't help himself. A part of him may have died back in New York, but part of his humor had remained.

"Haha..." Namora laughed humorlessly. "Like I haven't heard that one before."

"Sorry." apologized Naruto. "I was just trying to break the ice since I've never met, or seen, someone with blue patches of skin before. Uzumaki Naruto by the way."

"That's because she's half-Atlantean." revealed the Hokage. "Our organization does not discriminate against those who wish to join. When she first came to us, Namora was as blue as the ocean, but as time went on more of her human side began to emerge."

"I see. Well, it was nice meeting you, Namora." said the blonde male. "If you'll excuse Tsunade-sensei and I, we're on our way to the armory." he told her. He then rubbed the sore spot where the Hokage had hit him for not referring to her as sensei.

Namora nodded. "I hope to train alongside you very soon, Uzumaki." she said. "Tsunade-sensei." she bowed, and then took her leave.

"...She was nice." commented Naruto, watching her leave.

Tsunade nodded. "Aye, she is, but don't get on her bad side either, because like the sea she can be a very cruel woman." said the Senju. "She, like you, also holds the rank of genin. Though she is by far more experienced than you, and with a few more successful missions she will be promoted to chūnin."

"Hm-mm, well, she sounds like something, but still, I never would have thought Atlantis to be real." he said in wonder.

"It's as real as the ground you and I walk on." said the Hokage. "From what she's told me of her past life, she comes from a noble house, and is in fact cousin to it's current king."

"Wow."

"Indeed."

Silence fell between the two blondes as they continued their walk towards the armory. Naruto tried to take in as much of his surroundings as he could but his eyes always wandered back to what was in front of him. Despite the resentment he still held onto for what this woman put him through, he was still attracted to her. He could keep telling himself he wasn't, but his body was being far more honest than he was. Though therein lied the question. Was lust all he felt for her, or was it something more? He shook his head. He really needed to sort out these emotions of his before they blew up in his face one day.

"Here we are."

Putting his dilemma to the side for now, he took in the entire room. Weapons of all shapes and sizes adorned the walls of the armory. Though one particular area caught his attention.

"Why's that section over there blocked off?"

Tsunade followed his line of sight. "What lies behind that cage are weapons that only the kage and I are allowed to use." she said. "Aside from the fact that they're dangerous, the materials used to create them is very scarce to us, so only we wield them."

"What materials are you talking about?"

"Vibranium and Adamantium."

Naruto had never heard of either metal, so they had to be as rare as she said they were. Shifting from the blocked off area, back to Tsunade, he noticed she was picking out his gear. Normally, from what she had told him, the standard was to wear gi with the color of your kage. Not him. She wanted him to wear something different.

The reason for this sudden deviation was because the female in front of him had developed something she wanted tested, and if everything went well, the rest of her Clan would soon follow his example. The creation she wanted tested was called kevlar.

"Here, try these on." she said, handing him a flak jacket, pants, and a few other items.

Right off the bat, he could tell the kevlar was far heavier than the standard gi, yet at the same time it was still thin, meaning it provided him protection with minimal loss of maneuverability. The pants were made of the stuff as well. Once he slipped the flak jacket on, along with the pants, he put on a pair of black gloves and black combat boots. The last thing he put on was a blank porcelain mask.

As he was looking himself over he suddenly felt a pair of hands roaming over his body, and looked down to see Tsunade adjusting a few things on his person. It was two largish pouches on his lower back, another on his right thigh, and some sort of thin wire wrapped neatly around his left wrist, subtly hidden from view.

"What are in the pouches?"

"Your immediate weapons." she answered, opening them up. "The two on your lower back contain a limited amount of shuriken and kunai. The one on your thigh has smoke-bombs."

"What about this?" He held up his left hand.

"Razor-thin wire." replied the other blonde. "Useful for strangulation, decapitation, or capture. This is a tool mostly used when a more delicate touch is needed."

"I see."

Tsunade placed a finger on her chin. "Now the only thing you're missing is a primary and secondary weapon..."

"Secondary? What do you call all of this?" He held up his wrist and pointed at his pouches.

"Those are projectile weapons, and not something you fight with long-term." she explained. "Do not misunderstand though, those weapons can still kill, but you're more likely to die faster using only them against an enemy who has a primary weapon."

"...Sounds like you speak from experience."

"I do. I've lost many subordinates before I learned this."

"I see. I'll let you continue then."

Tsunade searched high and low, scanning over katana's, staffs, and everything in-between, but couldn't quite decide, until she looked at him.

"You pick." she said suddenly. "It's better if the wielder chooses their own weapons anyways."

Naruto shrugged and began to look over the various weapons. After a few seconds, he spotted what he wanted. Gently prying them off the wall, he held one in each hand, giving them a few practice swings. These just felt right in his hands.

"Twin Kōdachi huh. Not bad, but very hard to master." she muttered the last part. "Is this your final choice?"

"...Yes."

"Very well. For the moment I only want you to get used to carrying them around, and as time goes on I will eventually teach you how to wield them. They are to remain sheathed at all times. Understood?"

Naruto nodded as he adjusted them horizontally on his back. "Crystal. So, you a master swordsman?"

She gave him an iffy motion. "No, but I do know the basics of wielding them, which is all I'm going to be able to teach you." she replied "My granduncle was a true master of the Kōdachi Nito-ryū though."

"Well, having the basics is better than having nothing I suppose." mumbled the super-soldier.

"Now, what's your second choice?"

He walked over to the only other weapon that really caught his eye, mostly because it looked to be the most versatile. It was a sickle attached by chain to a weight.

"The Kusarigama..." she trailed. "A weapon that can be used up close or from far away. A very good choice in terms of unpredictability, but will be even harder to master than your kōdachi."

"Nothing worth doing is ever easy." quoted Naruto.

"Agreed. Now, is that your final choice?"

He nodded once more.

"Okay then." She nodded. "The kusarigama will be sealed until further notice." Tsunade suddenly told him.

"What? Why?"

"Because I only want you to focus on mastering the basics of the kōdachi." she replied. "Having your mind focusing on two different weapons will only hinder you in the end. Once I feel you are adequate enough with your blades, then and only then will I allow you to unseal your kusarigama."

"Makes sense. Okay, since I'm not going to be learning how to wield either weapon anytime soon, just what am I going to be doing?"

"First I'm going to evaluate your style of unarmed combat, to see if it won't get you killed while out on a mission." she explained. "After that, well, we'll take things one step at a time."

"What happens if you deem my style unsuitable?"

"Then I teach you a style that is."

Naruto nodded. Forgetting everything that Adriana taught him would be like a slap to her face, and he had to much respect for that woman to do that to her. He would prove her style worked.

"Okay, when do we start?"

"Right now. Follow me."

The super-soldier turned shinobi trailed after the Hokage, ready to begin his life as a member of The Hand.

* * *

– _**Three Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **Hamburg, Germany – March 13th, 1944**_

For the past ninety days, Uzumaki Naruto has been stationed within Germany, masquerading around as a man named Alexander Kaufmann, a German man of Nordic lineage. He even allowed Tsunade to cut his hair for this undercover mission; it was now cropped. The whole reason for all of these shadow games was because his organization had received an encrypted message from Hydra, a subsidiary of the Nazi's, a few months back. Unfortunately, since The Hand was technologically outdated, no thanks to themselves, they could not decipher it. So, they sent him to retrieve the original message from one of the sources.

It still perplexed him how an organization like The Hand was so technologically behind the times yet could still gather intel better than most government organizations. Truly, this group was dangerous.

Tsunade drilled into him to always be wary when it came to dealing with Hydra as that organization made their goals of conquest no secret. So much so that she fully believed they would attack The Hand at some point, either during the war or after it, and this was despite their countries being allies. The encrypted message just served to put those in The Hand on alert.

Having been taught how to read body language, to a certain extent anyway, he had seen the reactions of all those present when the message arrived. It was safe to say that The Hand was ready to start a shadow war with Hydra at a moments notice if they felt threatened.

He shook his head. _'A war within a war.'_

Even more innocents would end up suffering if such a thing were to happen. That's why he was in Nazi Germany, to insure that didn't happen. After a month of non-stop training, for hours on end, she had sent him out on this mission, as a way to get his feet wet, and to show the others he was ready.

He'd infiltrated the city of Hamburg about a month and a half ago and gotten hired by Hermann and Magda Eckart. One was a member of the Nazi party, the other a high ranking intelligence officer of Hydra. It wasn't hard getting hired. His rich blonde hair, deep blue eyes, strong facial structure, and lineage all but assured him the job, and it had. To the Nazi's, and some extent Hydra, he was the prime example of what they wanted their superior Aryan race to resemble.

From the time he'd been hired as their butler he had gotten to know the man and woman of the house. Hermann is a man who's been with the Nazi party since 1921 while his wife had been with Hydra since it's conception. The only significant difference between the two, that he could see, was their age. The man of the house was in his late sixties, and his wife was in the prime of her life at the ripe old age of thirty. It was because of the thirty year age gap between the two that he learned just how little sexual contact the two had with one another, and just how promiscuous Magda truly was.

He had secretly caught her in the act of adultery twice, with different men. Of course he never intended to mention this to the man of the house. For one, it would undoubtedly hinder the mission, and two, it wasn't any of his business. Though it soon became his business when she approached him one day. She revealed to him that she was primarily responsible for his hire, as he was only hired for his looks and body, as she preferred younger, more virile men. He had denied her at the onset of her advances, which were a ruse on his part, and this only seemed to give the woman more drive. Eventually, after keeping her at arms length for a week, he had finally given in and slept with her.

Even till this moment, Naruto could still hear Tsunade's voice echoing throughout his head, telling him that his appearance was a boon for those in their line of work. His looks would not only allow him to seduce the opposite sex, but even lay with them. She told him that sexual desire was a very very strong emotion, and a very powerful weapon if manipulated correctly.

Had he still been his old self, before meeting Tsunade or joining the war, then he wouldn't have been able to sleep with Magda. Fortunately, or unfortunately, however one looked at it, he was not the same man anymore. Speaking of the busty blonde...

Despite not being the same anymore, he still felt he could be honest with himself. At first he wasn't sure what he felt for the woman. Whether his attraction was purely sexual or something more. It was only after seeing her take multiple men to her room at night that he now knew. Had he been the same man as before, he may have still tried to be involved with her, but now? No, his heart had been broken once already, he didn't need it being shattered to pieces next. He was still sexually attracted to her, he was still a man after all, but that's as far as it would ever go between them.

Those within the organization, who were somewhat familiar with him, had seen his dilemma, and had decided to impart some of their wisdom unto him. An open relationship. Perhaps it was just the way his mind was wired, or the way he was raised, but he didn't find the thought of an individual he was in a serious relationship with sleeping with another man all that appealing. He could understand where they were coming from though. Those in their profession don't tend to live long, and knowing that your significant other was sleeping with another beforehand rather than them lying about it to you later seemed like it would help with avoiding relationship problems.

Everything he had been told made sense to him, but it just wasn't for him, not right now anyways. He wasn't looking to start something else so soon after the whole ordeal with Tsunade. Perhaps one day in the future he would try something like what they were telling him about, but not right now. Not when he was close to completing his mission. He had already copied the unencrypted message from Magda's personal files after their last sexual escapade between the sheets. All that remained was for him to make his exit.

"Is dinner almost ready, Alexander?" inquired Hermann.

"Nearly sir. I'm just adding the finishing touches." he replied in fluent German, having studied up on the language during his training with Tsunade.

Naruto reached into the interior of his suit, dug into the breast-pocket, and removed a small vial. He was originally ordered to kill both Hermann and Magda but had argued that killing the Hydra agent would only incite conflict between both organizations. Especially when they had just received a message from them. Tsunade had agreed with his logic and removed the order on Magda's head, but not on Hermann's.

So here he was, sprinkling a few drops of aphrodisiac laced aconite into his food. When his death was reported by Magda, the authorities would simply write it off as to much stress on his heart during the act. To not arouse suspicion on himself, he had been lacing Hermann's food with aphrodisiac for a while now since it would look out of place if he suddenly wanted to have sex when he hasn't wanted it in who knows how long. He had an hour to leave before he got frisky and twenty-four before he died.

' _Let's get this over with.'_

The secret shinobi walked out of the kitchen with two plates in hand, and gently placed the first down in front of the master of the house. He removed the cover atop the plate.

"I must say, Alexander, you've simply outdone yourself." complimented Hermann, eying his food and smelling it with gusto.

The super-soldier bowed his head in thanks, though all thanks should go to his eyes. Or to be more precise, the ability he discovered they had. During his time trying to cram in as much knowledge of Germany as he could, he suddenly found himself remembering various details of other books he'd just read. This new ability allowed him to memorize much, and in great detail. Such as various cookbooks and books on serving others.

He placed the second plate before Magda, removing the cover, and remained in place, waiting for them to begin eating.

"Yes, I too must agree with my husband." praised the woman of the house, as her hand slowly began to rub his inner thigh, creeping ever closer to his crotch, her husband still unaware.

The blonde didn't let his discomfort show and remained professional. "Your words honor me, sir and madam." He bowed a bit. "...If you'll please excuse me. I must check on dessert."

"Oh? What are you cooking up, Alex?" inquired Magda, licking her lips.

"Black forest cake."

"Mm-mm, I can't wait~."

Naruto smiled, bowed, and stepped back into the kitchen. Once he was out of sight, his smile dropped and he removed his attire, packing it back up, leaving no trace. After quietly equipping his regular gear, he exited through the second-story window and began to make his way to the roof. Once atop the roof, he began to create some distance between himself and the Eckart household. Once he felt he was a good distance away, he took a moment to review the documents.

' _Let's see here...'_

His eyes began to scan the documents, reading every detail. He made the call to Tsunade.

 _[Hokage, do you copy? This is Kagebōshi, over.]_

Only in the most critical of missions were shinobi from The Hand allowed to use technology that the organization 'liberated'. Such as the two walkies from one of Howard Stark's warehouses. Which in fact is a fabrication, as the pieces of tech were given to Tsunade by Fury.

 _[Is this channel secure?]_

 _[It is.]_ He refrained from informing her that this was tech from Howard Stark, how could they not be?

 _[Report.]_

He took a deep breath and began. _[Mission complete. I retrieved the information we sought. Though it isn't what you, and the rest, first believed it to be.]_

 _[Explain.]_

 _[You all assumed this was some sort of declaration, since it was unexpected, but it's not. In reality, it's an invitation for a meeting. A negotiation of sorts between Hydra and The Hand.]_

 _[Negotiations?]_

Naruto could hear the confusion and skepticism in her voice. _[For what?]_

 _[A trade.]_ He revealed. _[What they wish to give us isn't specified, but what they want in return for what they give us is.]_ He paused for a second. _[...They want to use our forces against the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and against Captain America and his Howling Commandos.]_ He paused for a second time to let her digest all of this info. _[The meeting is to be held in Madripoor.]_

Tsunade remained silent for a few seconds, mulling things over. _[...When is the meeting taking place?]_

 _[In a day.]_ he replied. _[It also states that their message months ago, the encrypted one, is to be the only one they send us, and if we do not meet them, then they will accept that as our answer, and seek help from another.]_

The line went dead once more before she answered. _[Rest up for a few hours, then grab a plane and head to Madripoor from Germany. A team will be waiting for you upon arrival to assist you with the continuation of this mission.]_

Naruto withheld a groan. Just when he thought his mission was over.

 _[Orders received.]_

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Two**_

* * *

 _ **Okay, so after the re-write, I changed the whole relationship between him and Tsunade. I also added his initial views on the idea of an open relationship. Now, this will probably remain as such until the future rolls around, and then who knows what'll happen, after all, time changes people.**_

 _ **REVIEW**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Here's the third re-written chapter. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

 _His eyes began to scan the documents, reading every detail. He made the call to Tsunade._

 _[Hokage, do you copy? This is Kagebōshi, over.]_

 _Only in the most critical of missions were shinobi from The Hand allowed to use technology that the organization 'liberated'. Such as the two walkies from one of Howard Stark's warehouses. Which in fact is a fabrication, as the pieces of tech were given to Tsunade by Fury._

 _[Is this channel secure?]_

 _[It is.] He refrained from informing her that this was tech from Howard Stark, how could they not be?_

 _[Report.]_

 _He took a deep breath and began. [Mission complete. I retrieved the information we sought. Though it isn't what you, and the rest, first believed it to be.]_

 _[Explain.]_

 _[You all assumed this was some sort of declaration, since it was unexpected, but it's not. In reality, it's an invitation for a meeting. A negotiation of sorts between Hydra and The Hand.]_

 _[Negotiations?]_

 _Naruto could hear the confusion in her voice. [For what?]_

 _[A trade.] He revealed. [What they wish to give us isn't specified, but what they want in return for what they give us is.] He paused for a second. [...They want to use our forces against the Strategic Scientific Reserve, and against Captain America and his Howling Commandos.] He paused for a second time to let her digest all of this info. [The meeting is to be held in Madripoor.]_

 _Tsunade remained silent for a few seconds, mulling things over. [...When is the meeting taking place?]_

 _[In a day.] he replied. [It also states that their message months ago, the encrypted one, is to be the only one they send us, and if we do not meet them, then they will accept that as our answer, and seek help from another.]_

 _The line went dead once more before she answered. [Rest up for a few hours, then grab a plane and head to Madripoor from Germany. A team will be waiting for you upon arrival to assist you with the continuation of this mission.]_

 _Naruto withheld a groan. Just when he thought his mission was over._

 _[Orders received.]_

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

 _ **Principality of Madripoor**_

Naruto let a small yawn escape his lips. He was currently waiting for the team that was to assist him in completing his mission. He was currently holed up in a small harbor known as Buccaneer Bay. He had no idea where he and the team were supposed to meet, so he had set his seaplane down in the nearest body of water he saw. Instead of going out to search for them, he was going to wait until they found him. The chances of him finding them were slim, but the chances they had spotted him in the air were pretty high.

' _Hopefully.'_

If they didn't find him before sundown then he would have to go to the meeting place alone. So for the time being he was going to wait. Plus, he needed to rest before the meet up anyways. He only arrived a few hours ago after a non-stop flight from Germany. Even if he was enhanced by the super-soldier serum and the infinity formula, he was still human, and was prone to making mistakes if tired, and he could not afford to make those in a few hours. So, making himself as comfortable as possible, he fell asleep.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

The blonde shinobi stifled a yawn as he looked over the unit that was sent to assist him. Of the twenty heads he had counted, he only really knew one of them personally, and even that was a bit of a stretch. All he and Namora shared in common was that they were both apprentices of the Hokage. He shook his head. He was thinking to much. Calmly stepping over the bodies of the fools who believed they could rob him while he slept, he addressed the team.

"...Our mission is simple. We're to meet with the agents of Hydra on Madripoor and see what they wish to discuss with our organization." he explained, staring at all of them. "I do not expect for there to be trouble, but nonetheless, I want all of you to be aware and be prepared for anything." he said.

"Look underneath the underneath." muttered a random shinobi in the back.

Naruto heard the saying and agreed. "...Do all of you understand?"

All of them nodded as one and followed his lead into the streets of Lowtown, one of the most lawless places in the world.

* * *

' _What the hell am I doing here? Why am I the one leading these men and women?'_

The blonde team leader sighed. He kept repeating these question over and over in his head, and this was despite already knowing the answer. It was to gain experience, as Tsunade had so aptly put it when she told him he would be the one leading this mission over the radio back in Germany.

He hasn't bothered trying to speak to anyone yet and simply looked at the half-Atlantean on his right. She had made no comment about him leading, or their surroundings. Having studied humanity while under Adriana, he knew how bad it was, but studying it and actually seeing it were two completely different experiences. Had he known just how bad this place was, then he wouldn't have brought any of the females in the group here.

' _Human depravity truly knows no bounds.'_

People were being killed as they continued their trek to the meeting. Women, and even some men, were being raped. Children were on the streets, begging for money or food, and all the while those who lived in Hightown continued to live their lives of luxury.

' _Madripoor, it is truly a place for the very rich and the very poor. A place where the scum of the earth congregate and fester.'_

If he had the power to do it, he would burn the city to the ground and then sink the entire island to the bottom of the ocean. Perhaps he would try once the war was over.

"You look tense."

Shaken from his musings, he looked at Namora from the corner of his eye. "...I am." he admitted. "I've never led anyone before in my life, and I feel the others only follow because our leader ordered them to."

"Hm-mm, this is true." she agreed. "However, they do not know you like I do." she said. "That month we spent training alongside each other showed me that. And I have faith, just as I'm sure our teacher does, that you will lead us to success."

"Wish I shared your optimism..."

Namora grew silent before speaking up. "...My cousin once felt the same way you did." She decided to reveal a bit of her past to her fellow blonde. "He, like me, is half-Atlantean, and it was because of this that he was seen as something less than both species. However, he did not let their words or stares discourage him." she said. "Sure he got a bit violent, but never discouraged. It was because of his perseverance and actions that he eventually became king of Atlantis, and earned the love, adoration, and respect of my people."

"...Wow. He sounds like one hell of a man."

The half-Atlantean woman smiled softly. "He is."

"He got a name?"

"Namor."

Naruto chuckled, finding it funny how close their names resembled each other.

"Maybe you could introduce us one day?"

"I think I could manage a small meeting between the two of you." she said. "I'm sure you two would get along...swimmingly."

This time he did let out a small chuckle, appreciating what she was doing.

"Thanks for the pep talk, Namora, and the laugh. I feel a bit better now." he said. "C'mon, let's pick up the pace a bit. We're almost there."

* * *

It was a good thing the blonde super-soldier wore a mask that covered the entirety of his face, because if hadn't, then everyone would have seen the surprised look on his face.

There was a group of ten Hydra agents before him, give or take, but they were not the reason for his surprise. Johann Schmidt, or as the world was coming to know him as, the Red Skull. A monster in human skin. Neither man broke the stare into the others eyes, and Johann suddenly nodded to himself about something, satisfied. Of what the shinobi could not fathom.

"I'm glad I'm dealing with a superior man." said Schmidt. "To often do I find myself speaking to men who believe they have power when in reality they have so very little of it. You however..." he looked at Naruto. "...You are different. One look told me that."

The blonde team leader didn't reply to the compliment verbally, but he did tilt his head forward, giving the man his thanks.

"If I may be so blunt, Herr Skull..." started Naruto, speaking German. "But what is it that you wish to give us in return for our services against your many enemies?"

Johann didn't seem to mind his bluntness. In fact, it was quite refreshing. "I'm glad to see that I do not have to reiterate what I need you for, and waste time. I'm glad I sought out the best..."

Naruto suddenly held up his hand. "Save your honeyed words for another, Johann. You do not need to sway us over to your cause with such heavy handed compliments." he stated. "Your payment."

The Skull had a smirk on his face. Oh, he really liked this man. He was not afraid to speak his mind to him, as only equals of their caliber should.

Namora was of like mind with Schmidt. She wasn't surprised to see her fellow apprentice speaking so amicably with the leader of Hydra, like he was a leader himself. This is what she was trying to get him to understand earlier. To her, Naruto just exuded this aura that made lesser people follow and other people, like Johann, consider him their equals.

"I offer two valuable assets." Johann snapped his fingers and two Hydra agents stepped forward with two young females in tow. "These two fräulein's were taken from their homes by the Soviets and placed within their Red Room."

Now that had gotten Naruto, and Namora's, attention. The mask on Naruto's face hid his frown as he looked at the two emotionless girls closer. He knew what the Red Room was. They were a direct rival of The Hand, who also trained and churned up assassins, mostly females, from their Black Widow Ops program.

"What's so special about these two?" inquired the super-soldier. Sure they looked strong and appeared to have the training, but so did many others who left that room.

"My spies from within the room have informed me that the Soviets wish to create their own brand of super-soldier, again. Especially after the failed Omega Red project" stated Johann. "Instead of using the same methods, which only brought failure, they have resorted to...other means." he said. "The two you see in front of you are the first of their kind. They are the first to be both bio-technologically and psycho-technologically enhanced."

"Meaning what exactly?"

"I unfortunately do not have all of that information, as my own scientists are still trying decipher your exact question, but I can tell you this..." Johann paused for a second. "The two will not only age at a much slower rate, but they can also process information much faster. All so they can be the perfect killers for years to come, and I present them to you and your organization."

Naruto nodded slowly. If he had been skittish about this deal before, then he was downright unsure of it now. For all he knew the two girls could still be sleeper agents for Hydra, or the Soviets, as he would not put it past either organization to have not messed with their heads. Speaking of the Soviets. It was very likely that when the Red Room figured out where their assassins were, they would start war with The Hand to retrieve them. So, instead of starting a shadow war with Hydra, it would be with the Red Room instead. Naruto shook his head. The consequences of accepting or not accepting did not favor his organization anyway he looked at it.

"...What are their names?"

"This one..." Johann addressed the young-woman to his left. "Is from China. She was taken when she was but a youngster. Her name is Monica Chang. The other is from Japan. Her name is Yukio."

Withholding a sigh, he stuck out his hand to seal the deal, but before the two hands could clasp, they were interrupted.

 _BOOM!_

Naruto wasn't near the center of the explosion, but he still felt the concussive force of the blast reach his current position, and was forced to take cover. Quickly activating his eyes, he peered through the smoke, and softly cursed. Standing opposite him and Hydra were the Howling Commandos, followed closely by his brother. Standing next to his older sibling was Bucky and a man he did not know, though judging by the Canadian army patch on his sleeve, he was an ally of Steve's.

He scanned the battlefield quickly, and grimaced. While his side outnumbered his brother's, those numbers may as well not have even existed, what with half of his side not even using firearms. His team was going to be torn to shreds once things kicked off. While he was in The Hand undercover, and was here to take them down, he was still in charge of their lives, even if he may have to take them later. If he couldn't handle this here and now, then chances were he wouldn't be able to in the future.

Taking a deep breath, he began to step out from cover, hoping to grab the attention. As unfortunate as it was, he would have to play Johann's ally today, but only him. His subordinates were free game as their deaths would not start a war with Hydra. After all, it would be un-American of him not to take care of his countries enemies. Though he would have to make it look like it was Steve and his team that did the deed. Nothing could be traced back to him, or The Hand.

His tactic of drawing the attention away from the Skull wasn't going as planned as the men opposite of him paid him little to no attention. Oh, he knew they were watching him, but everyone's eyes were locked on the Red Skull.

He was somehow keeping his cool throughout this standoff, and kept his own eyes locked on Steve and his index finger that was hovering over the trigger to his pistol. His eyes widened a fraction and he quickly pulled out a shuriken, throwing it with pinpoint precision as Steve pulled the trigger.

 _Bang!_

The missed gunshot rang throughout the battlefield, and all hell broke loose. Everyone who held a gun began to relentlessly push on that trigger, spraying the entire area with bullets.

"Take cover!" ordered the two blonde brothers.

Those who were on Steve's side followed the order without question. That was not the case regarding those who were following him. Eight shinobi, two each from the other kage's, decided to ignore the order and were promptly killed for it. Cursing them for acting stupid, he then looked to his remaining team, all of whom were from the Senju Clan. They all gave him a nod. Their leader had given him the command of this mission, and they would follow, lest they end up like the others.

Peeking over his cover, he quickly ducked back down as bullets came flying at him. Looking to his far left, he spotted Johann beneath cover as well, blindly firing. Their eyes met, and they nodded.

Naruto grabbed a few smoke-bombs and tossed them over his cover. Not a second after they had hit the floor did a large cloud of smoke erupt, enveloping the area and cutting down visibility. Johann ran out from cover, and the blonde was right behind him, covering his escape. Though he also pulled out a new weapon he was learning to use. They were called senbon, and while he wasn't very proficient in being able to kill a person with a single one, he could still hit someone and paralyze them for a few seconds. And that was all a person really needed. Using his eyes, he identified most Hydra agents and stuck them, leaving them sitting ducks once the smoke cleared in a few seconds.

' _...Shit!'_

He thought he and Johann were in the clear, but it appears he was wrong. Steve and Bucky followed in after them, despite the dangers, and were trailing behind them. At this rate they would catch up. He was forced to stop and confront them. His older brother didn't even acknowledge him, simply going around him with some nifty acrobatics, and before he could attempt to stop him, Bucky got in his way.

If he didn't have these eyes, then he may not have been able to avoid all of this gunfire that easily, and would have been hit by now. As he continued to dance around the bullets, he unsheathed one of his kōdachi, and went on the attack.

Bucky, who was somewhat used to this type of speed after continuous spars with Steve, kept on firing his where he believed his enemy was going to be, not where he was. It wasn't helping. Before he knew it the man was already front of him, bringing down his sword. He put his rifle to block, and was caught off-guard when the rifle was cut in half. Not one to be deterred by this, he pulled out a pistol, but before he could push the trigger, the barrel was cut clean off. He was left open.

Seeing as he couldn't break character here, he brought down the blade, and slashed very lightly across Bucky's chest, leaving him with a shallow wound. He then kicked his friend away towards two of his comrades, who had also secured Monica and Yukio.

' _Well, looks like we just lost those two.'_ While it wasn't originally part of his plan to screw over his own organization, he was glad The Hand wasn't getting their mitts on the two girls.

Sheathing his weapon, he sprinted after Steve, and quickly caught up to the man, tackling him from behind, and giving Johann enough time to put some distance between themselves. He received a hard elbow to his face for his trouble, and was forced to get off his brother.

The two brothers faced one another.

Steve had to grit his teeth in frustration. He was no doubt losing very precious time in apprehending his target, all because of the man in front of him. Unholstering his sidearm in lightning fast speed, he fired off a few shots.

Naruto once more used his eyes to predict the trajectory of the bullets and avoided them, along with the iconic shield thrown at him, and it's ricochet.

"Argh!"

The super-soldier shinobi suddenly stumbled forward as he felt a burning sensation enter his upper left arm, and come out the front. He had been shot! Holding his bleeding arm, he looked around and was able to spot his shooter. He then looked at his brother in anger. Steve may not have been the one to pull the trigger, but he was the reason why he was hit.

Gritting his teeth, he avoided the incoming shield pummeling, and used his speed to enter Steve's inner defenses. Launching an elbow right into Steve's sternum, he forced his brother back a bit, and then used that same elbow to land a hard blow to his jaw, snapping his head backwards. With the themed super-soldier stunned for a few seconds, he then kicked the man directly on the star of his suit, sending him back a few feet.

Using these few seconds he had gained, he quickly surveyed the battlefield. He grimaced. Things were not looking good for them. Of those that were still alive at the time things kicked off, only eight were still alive. Looking for his Atlantean friend, he found her locked in fierce combat with the Canadian man, and from what he was witnessing, she was losing.

' _Whoever this man is, he can take one helluva beating!'_

Naruto easily spotted numerous wounds on the man, and five particular injuries that would have killed most other men. Not leaving their fight up to fate, and possibly losing Namora, he decided some divine intervention was in order. Removing one of his kōdachi, he flung it towards the Canadian, just as he was tackled to the ground.

"Oof!"

"Logan! Behind you!" shouted Steve.

To late did the warning reach the Canadian's ears as the blade had already traveled a fair amount of distance. The man known as Logan turned his head slightly and was impaled through the side of his neck.

"Bastard!" snarled Steve, applying pressure around his enemy's neck, and planting the barrel of his own pistol atop his head. "That man was my friend, and you killed him!"

Naruto was slowly watching as his life was coming to an end at the hands of his brother when he decided to put into practice what Tsunade had taught him over the long month, and replaced himself.

 _Bang!_

The shot was one of many that rang throughout the battle, but it was this one that made everything come to a screeching halt. Naruto held his arm and moved over towards Namora and those who were still alive. He pulled his blade out of Logan when his eyes widened. The man on the floor was still alive.

"James!" shouted one of the Howling Commandos.

"Falsworth!" screamed another.

Naruto looked down at the man who had just been shot and had his brains splattered all over the floor of Madripoor. It was the same man who had shot him earlier. He knew he would pay for that in the next life, but it was either his or that man's, and he chose his. Looking away from the dead man, he looked at his brother, and never had he seen the man so shell-shocked before. Though that quickly changed to anger, all of which was directed at him. He did not enjoy seeing his loving brother look at him with such eyes.

Neither brother looked away from the other, and time seemed to slow down as they continued to stare at one another for what felt like an eternity. Before anyone on Steve's side could pump him and his own group full of lead, he dropped multiple smoke bombs once more and ordered those who had lived to retreat.

This mission was a failure.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Days Later~**_

The blonde super-soldier stood tall as he repeated those five words once more, this time to the five kage in front of him. It was safe to assume by most of their looks that they were not pleased with the outcome.

"...Let me try and understand this." started the Tsuchikage, a man wrapped in bandages. "Instead of trying to finish the mission and die like a true shinobi, you fled. Not only with your tail between your legs, but with less than half of the team that was sent to assist you."

Naruto nodded, staring at the man. "Correct." he said. "I felt it more prudent to escape with our lives rather than die a dogs death, especially when the mission was doomed to fail from the beginning." he said. He was lucky that many had survived in the first place because of there still hadn't been Hydra agents there to occupy Steve and his team, it's possible only he and Namora may have made it out.

Tsunade knew that his jab wasn't meant for her personally, but at the entire organization as a whole for not modernizing with the rest of the world. Judging by the faces of the others, they had come to this realization as well.

The five shadows delegated amongst themselves for a few seconds before finally addressing him.

"Normally we dispose of those who fail missions, or flee, especially those of this magnitude, but this is not our call to make." stated the Raikage, a very large, and muscular black man. "This mission is under the jurisdiction of the Hokage."

"What say you, Hokage-dono?" asked the Mizukage. "What shall be done with Uzumaki Naruto?"

Tsunade remained silent for a few seconds. "...A punishment."

"Of what sort?" questioned the Kazekage.

"Twenty lashes."

The other four slowly began to nod, accepting the idea. "Public or private?" inquired the Mizukage.

"Public." she replied. "His failure will be witnessed by all, and hopefully this will deter not only him from failing in the future, but others who witness this as well."

They all nodded. "Very well then. Meeting adjourned."

The four shadows stood as one and exited as one, heading towards their own compounds to spread this information to their subordinates. Only the two blondes remained.

"...I want you to know that I take no pleasure in issuing these types of orders, Naruto." she said. "But I must make an example out of you."

He nodded grimly.

She dug into her pocket and handed him something. "Here, take this."

"What is it?" It appeared to be an elongated cork.

"Something that'll help with the pain." she answered. "Just remember to bite down on this when it all starts." she said, and left.

* * *

 _ **~One Week Later~**_

The younger half of the super-soldier program blearily opened his eyes after a long slumber, and very slowly began to stretch. It had been a week since his punishment, and while his wounds had completely healed, thanks to his healing factor, Tsunade was still his doctor, and as such still had say over when he could leave. She insisted he remain in bed until he could move without re-aggravating his injuries.

Speaking of the blonde doctor, while he wasn't all that thrilled to see her being the one to whip him, it still paled in comparison to the embarrassment he felt at being watched by everyone. It wasn't because they were watching, but because they kept chanting his failures, over and over again. Of how he could not handle the responsibilities of leadership, how he got most of his team killed, lost an alliance, lost two valuable assets, and how Captain America was his superior in everything.

He wasn't gonna lie, that last comment stung quite a bit. He knew they didn't know he and Steve were brothers, but that didn't make it any harder to hear, since it was true. Steve was a better man than he. His older brother was doing what he set out to do during this war, and was proving himself a force for the Allies. Meanwhile, he on the other hand was being punished like a child. That being said, he stood strong in the face of their harsh criticisms, knowing full well they were trying to warp his mind.

On the upside, it wasn't all boredom. He got to see Namora more often than not as she would drop by just to talk. Her talks usually consisted of stories of her past missions, one of which caught his immediate attention. Turns out she knew who Logan was, not personally, but she had seen a file on the man, and knew a few things about him. His full name was James 'Logan' Howlett, and he was a mutant. A person born with an extra gene that gives them mutations, which usually form into some type of ability.

The moment he heard the full explanation of what a mutant was, one question shot to the forefront of his mind. _'Am I a mutant as well?'_ If he was then it would certainly explain his eyes. He would need to find out more information about this.

Tsunade was also a frequent visitor, when not here as his doctor. Whenever she came it was to teach him. Their 'friendship' has been on the mend for a while now, and these visits only helped. Though there were times when Tsunade would try and initiate some physical contact, only to be pushed away. He wasn't ready to start any sort of physical relationship with her yet.

"How is the patient feeling?"

"Fine." he replied. "He would be much better if he could finally get outta here though." he muttered.

The blonde kage smacked him lightly. "Don't whine, Naruto. It's unbecoming." she scolded. "Anyways I've brought more books from the library so we can continue our lessons, but first, do you still recall all that you previously learned?"

He nodded. "Yes. Our inner energy is called many things by many people, but what we primarily refer to it as chakra. It is our life-force, and we can manipulate it to do many feats deemed impossible when it is applied correctly." he said, reciting the last lesson word for word.

In the beginning, before he ever came to Japan or joined The Hand, he would have been very skeptical of the subject known as mysticism, or chakra as they called it. That skepticism was squashed after the first month of being here. First he had seen that invisible wall, which he now knew was created with something called fūinjutsu. Then there was the path that wasn't there and then was, which was created with illusions. Then to top it all off, he had seen Tsunade spit a fireball from her mouth! He was made a believer soon after, which he was then taught some of the basics, such as the replacement technique he had used a week and a half ago. She then explained, in great detail, just what a person with chakra could really do.

During her explanation, he had to assume everyone in The Hand could use chakra, though if he were being honest, he had never actually seen anyone other than Tsunade use it. Regardless, they wouldn't be in this organization if they couldn't use it. Which in the beginning begged the question, why was he still there? Because last time he checked, he didn't have chakra. When he had asked Tsunade about this in the beginning she waved him off and told him she had unlocked his using the same method that allowed him to enter the organization. That was all she had given him.

He hadn't bothered asking for more information since he knew she wouldn't give him anything, simply giving him the go around. Though he had noticed something. She mentioned she had activated his own chakra the same way she had gotten him in. He would need to retrace his steps and figure out when she had done this.

Tsunade nodded, pleased he remembered the previous lesson. "Good. Today I am going to teach you a different subject, but one that still falls within the mystic realm. Gods."

Naruto gave her a sour look. "Gods? As in plural?" he inquired, because last time he checked, there was only one God.

She nodded. "Yes. There are many pantheons that exist in the world unto this day, and form the basis of many religions. Greek, Norse, Hindu, Egyptian. There are others, but those four are widely recognized the most." she explained. "Japan has three. Shintō, Ainu, and to an extent, Buddhism."

"Why so many?"

"Each one represents something different to different people." she said, shrugging. Who was she to judge what religion a person followed. "The Shintō and Buddha's are at the top while the Ainu are a tier below. With me so far?"

H nodded. "I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"You mentioned the Hindu pantheon earlier," She nodded. "I thought the idea of chakra only belonged to that religion? How can we use it as well?"

"A good question, and one I will answer in a second." she replied. "Now, many people worship these deities for various reasons. Those who first created The Hand worshiped all three pantheons, and as a result of their faith were rewarded, with the unlocking of their chakra."

Naruto wanted to say something about not believing these so-called gods being so...helpful, but kept his mouth shut. To him, them having their chakra unlocked sounds way to good to be true.

"To answer your question. Everyone has chakra, we just choose to call it that, though not everyone has it readily available to them." she explained. "Buddhism and Hinduism also share the concept of life-force, or chakra, with one another. The way we use our chakra is merely different than theirs." she answered. "Did that answer your question?"

He nodded.

"Good. Now, a long time ago, well before our time, there was once a three-way war being waged by the Japanese pantheons." she revealed. "I know not the reason for why they fought, just that the result was peace, especially after many of them died."

"How can a god die?"

She shrugged. "Loss of faith from those who worship them. Perhaps a holy artifact. Or perhaps some of them no longer wished to exist during such a conflicting time."

"I see."

"Anyways, to truly have everlasting peace, they needed a symbol." she said. "Something to show the others, and a reminder for themselves, that they had finally truly unified. So, one god and one goddess were chosen amongst the three pantheons, and from their union a child was born. A daughter."

"Which two pantheons?"

"Shintō and Buddhist."

"Where are the Ainu in all of this then?"

"They were present during the birthing." she answered. "Since the child did not have their blood in her veins, they instead decided to bless the child. Unfortunately, things hardly ever go as planned when that much power is involved."

"What happened."

"The newborn goddess soon began to abuse her powers." she answered. "She would often mettle in the affairs of mortals, ignoring the decree of neutrality set forth by the Sky-Fathers. For a time, this had driven a wedge between them once again, all sides blaming the other for her behavior, until a time came when the goddess was simply to unstable. So, ceasing their squabbles, all three united as one and sealed her away."

"Only sealed?" he questioned.

"Would you be able to kill your own flesh and blood?" she asked, locking eyes with him.

Naruto grimaced at the thought, solemnly nodding. He didn't even want to think about doing such a thing.

"Besides, while still young, compared to the others, she was extremely powerful. If she had been able to master her powers, then we may not be having this conversation right now."

"So, where did they seal her?"

"Unknown. Only the divines who sealed her away know."

"Oh..." Well that sucked. There went his enthusiasm. "What was her name anyways?"

Tsunade shook her head. "Unfortunately we do not know. Her name was stricken from history by the gods." she explained. "The only piece of info we have on a name is a title she was given."

"A title?"

"Correct. It was given to her by those who had fought, and survived her wrath. They called her the Oni Usagi no Megami."

' _The Demon Rabbit Goddess.'_

He filed that name away, and listened as the lesson continued on.

* * *

– _**Three Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **June 16th, 1944**_

Naruto let out a sigh of content. While he's only been in Japan, and part of The Hand, for six months or so, it's felt a lot longer. Especially since he's seen his home. Which is where he currently was. Yes, he was back in Brooklyn.

' _It's good to be back home, even if it's only a temporary trip.'_ He took a deep breath of the somewhat fresh air.

His mission this time around was straightforward, but high in difficulty. First off, he was not here to assassinate someone. No, he was here to retrieve someone. A man by the name of Richard Anderson. A scientist who happened to work on Project: Rebirth, and a man who claims to have re-created the very super-soldier serum that created him and Steve via Erskine's notes. That was the straightforward part. The hard part was having to deal with Hydra, whom they were somewhat neutral with after the whole incident at Madripoor, as they were also searching for the man, and had gotten a head start.

This mission was also to act as his redemption for Madripoor.

 _BOOM!_

"Imperious Rex!"

 _BOOM!_

"Kyaa!"

Hearing the screams, he looked around to see what was causing the explosions but couldn't see a thing from the street. Using the chaos around him, he applied chakra to his feet and raced up the side of a building. He soon spotted the problems. The Human Torch was fighting...Namor. Judging by the details given to him by Namora a few months ago on this man, this was no doubt him.

' _So that's the man who stole Dr. Horton's suit.'_

The man flying about, using fire as his weapon, is a man by the name of Jim Hammond, at least that's what the reports The Hand had gathered on him say. The man had just shown up one day and started helping people, hell, he heard he had even helped his brother at one point. He eventually turned his attention on Namor, and wondered why the Atlantean King was on the surface.

' _Or why the hell they're fighting, and here of all places?!'_

"Kyaa!"

"Aaahh!"

Looking down from his vantage point, he frowned. People were scrambling about like chickens with their heads cut off, dying because of the two superhumans actions. Did they not know there were people below them? No, from the looks of it. Well, Hammond appeared to know, and was trying to save a few but kept getting attacked by Namor, who didn't seem to care about the surface-dwellers.

' _Dammit all.'_

Naruto raced back down the building, heading towards the pavement, and just as he was ten feet from becoming a stain, he leapt, and saved a man from being crushed. He repeated this process over and over, saving as many lives as he could, but even he was not that fast. Especially when the people he was trying to save were panicking.

"Mommy! Please wake up!"

Hearing the voice of a child, he turned around and spotted three of them, from ages eight to ten, all of them huddled around the body of a woman. Against his better judgment, he activated his eyes and took a closer look. He grimaced. The woman was dead, had been for a few seconds via blunt force to the head.

"Please momma!" cried one of the children. "I'll be a good boy. I promise!"

Naruto's heart went out to the children as sometimes he hated having these gifts. Being able to hear things like that amidst all this chaos, or being able to identify a dead body from miles away. It just sucked, plain and simple. He shook his head. He didn't have time for such feelings. Running towards the three, he scooped them up in his arms and dove out of the way as a large piece of building concrete fell. He held them close to his chest as he did not want them looking back, or hearing the sickening squelch of their mother's dead body being crushed.

"Angie! Kids! Where are you!?" shouted a man. "Please answer me!"

All three kids in his arms reacted instantaneously.

"Papa!"

The older man's head snapped over in their direction. "Kids! Thank the man upstairs!" He ran over to them, hugging each of them when they leapt into his arms. He then looked at their savior. "I don't know who you are, but thank you stranger. I don't know what I would have done had I lost them. Have you seen their mother?"

Naruto nodded and gave the man the heartbreaking news. "Focus everything you have on these three children. They're going to need it." he ordered. The man nodded and ran off, looking to find a shelter of some kind.

While he would have loved nothing more than to bring the two superhumans down to his level and give them a piece of his mind, he couldn't. Not when there were still so many lives that needed saving. His first and only priority for the moment was saving as many as he could. He ran headfirst back into the chaos.

* * *

 _ **~Two Weeks Later~**_

The lone shinobi in Brooklyn quietly hummed a tune as he patiently spied on a couple of Hydra agents down below him. Sixteen days had come and gone since the superhuman fiasco, and in those two weeks he had learned that it had been Hydra's doing.

Both superhumans had been manipulated like marionettes, as each man believed the other to be a Nazi spy. All so Hydra could search for the scientist in peace. Despite the fact they were tricked, he was still disappointed in both men, none more so than in Namor. The Atlantean should have known that starting a fight on the surface could be seen as a declaration of war. He should know this. He's a damn king for chrissakes! His choice to ignore this had cost people their lives.

He wouldn't kill the man for that ignorance however, he had to much respect for Namora to do such a thing. His actions may also be misconstrued as an act of war against Atlantis, and he didn't want that. So for now, he would simply bide his time before he acted against the king under the sea. As for Jim Hammond, well, he would be paying that man a visit sometime in the future as well.

The Hydra agents below suddenly stood at attention, and he knew why. A black Mercedes-Benz was rolling up to the abandoned warehouse behind them. Two people stepped out. Using his enhanced vision, he took a closer look at the mysterious duo and now understood why they stood at attention.

Special agents Wilhelm Lohmer and Julia Koenig, his wife, had arrived on scene.

' _What are the two disciplinary dogs of Hydra doing so far from the war?'_

Moving from rooftop to rooftop with ease, he stopped when he was right on top of them.

"Have you secured the doctor?" questioned Julia.

The agents in front of her nodded. "We have. He is inside with all of his instruments, ready to begin the operation at your convenience."

Naruto's blue eyes narrowed. After hearing that, it didn't take a genius to figure out why the two were here. _'Though that does explain why I couldn't find the doctor.'_

"Good." nodded Wilhelm. "Make sure no else enters this building until we exit. Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra!"

As soon as both husband and wife entered the warehouse, he got to work. He could not allow Hydra to gain more super-soldiers. It would tip the already precarious balance of power in their favor. This was despite them almost being allies months ago, after all, that was then, this was now.

Removing four shuriken from his pouch, he let them fly. The first was dead before he hit the dirt, with the second following soon after. The third and fourth had heard something, and turned to see their comrades dead. The third died soon after, a word on his lips. The fourth managed to dodge the attack. Or so he believed. A little twitch of his fingers, and the shuriken began to change direction as the wire guiding it found it's target. All four were dead within ten seconds. Making his way down to street-level, he gathered his weapons and disposed of the bodies.

' _Okay, four down, two to go.'_

Looking around the warehouse, he spotted an open window near the back, in an alley. Looks like he just found his way in.

* * *

Having climbed through the window, the blonde found himself a nice little perch atop a wooden beam to watch the proceedings below.

"Are you almost done preparing, Dr. Anderson?" inquired Julia, her patience running thin.

The older man hesitated before nodding. "Yes, but are you positive you both wish to go through with this?" he asked. "The consequences could be disastrous-"

"Enough!" Wilhelm slammed his fist. "We have been given our orders. We will do as Johann requests of us, and you will do your job. If you do not, then only death awaits you."

The doctor could do nothing but nod. "Very well then. Do you have the vial of blood?"

' _Vial of blood?'_

The blonde watched as Wilhelm tossed a dark vial to the doctor.

"Hopefully Johann's blood will not empower them..." muttered Anderson.

Naruto nearly blew his cover by letting out annoyed groan. After everything he's had to deal with after coming home, he comes to find out that there was no serum, no real serum, just the failed variation that made Johann what he was today. He had completely wasted his time on this wild goose chase. He sighed internally.

' _Still, on the off chance, I can't allow these two to become super-soldiers like Johann.'_

Patiently biding his time, he watched as the doctor began to work his magic, pushing various buttons, pulling levers, and then strapping in the two agents. That was his cue to make his appearance. He jumped down from the ceiling, scaring the doctor.

"W-Who are you?"

"I'm an interested third party." he replied. Turning around, he spared the two agents a glance, and ignored their silent screaming. He turned back to the doctor. "Don't inject them with the vial of blood."

Naruto tossed him another vial.

"Inject them with that instead."

"...What is it?"

"Poison."

Anderson nearly dropped the vial. "P-Poison! I can't inject them with this. If they find out I was the one who killed them, then they'll find me and kill me!"

"Hm-mm, you have a valid point." agreed the blonde. "Then you'll just have to disappear alongside them."

Naruto took a step towards the man, who took a step back.

"Apply the poison, doctor."

Not really having much of a choice here, he did as told. "...There, it is done."

"Good." nodded Naruto. "Now doctor, when you wake up, you may find that you look different, but I want you to remember, you're still alive." said the blonde. "Oh, and make sure to change your name."

Before Anderson could ask what he meant, he suddenly felt himself getting sleepy, and before he knew it, he was on the ground unconscious. With him knocked out, Naruto removed one of his kunai and got to work, removing all traces of the man known as Richard Anderson.

Once he was done with the doctor, he went to check on the two dogs. They were both alive and kicking. Putting up quite a fight. Normally, he would have just tinkered with the machine and be done with it, but he didn't want to risk them surviving, nor did he have the time. So, he unsheathed his blades and stuck them in their hearts, ending their lives swiftly.

With that being done, he began to plant explosive tags, crude as his may be, all around the weakest points of the warehouse. Once he was satisfied, he picked up the doctor, and exited the building. After he felt he was a good distance away, he made a motion with his hands, and the tags went off. It wasn't very long before he saw the towering clouds of black smoke rise into the sky. He silently apologized to the local firefighters and policemen who were on their way to deal with that mess. He put the doctor down.

"Hopefully when you wake up, your nightmare will be over, doctor." he muttered.

Naruto own was still very much continuing as he now had to return back to Japan and The Hand.

* * *

 _ **~Two Days Later~**_

"...And that concludes my report." said Naruto, having just given his entire report to the five kage in front of him, while omitting a few key details.

When the five shadows learned about the serum being a cheap knockoff, they were livid. However, that soon turned to pride, as he had told them he would not allow another country, or organization, to be better than them. His words were like music to their ears. Not only had they placated the kage, he had even been bumped up in rank. He was now a chūnin.

"Very well. Thank you for your report, chūnin Uzumaki Naruto." said Tsunade, sending him a small smile.

He bowed, sending her a microscopic smile of his own, and abruptly left. Instead of celebrating this achievement with Namora, as they had done so when she was promoted, he decided to head straight home. Towards his bath and bed. He deserved it after the past couple of weeks he's had. He briefly thought about the advantages of having a higher rank but shoved that to the back of his mind. He could think about that stuff later. Right now, a warm bath and his comfortable bed were calling to him.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Three**_

* * *

 _ **Introduced new characters, though I changed up their origins. Made Jim Hammond, the 1st Human Torch, an actual human. Made Wilhelm and Julia into Hydra agents instead of Nazi agents.**_

 _ **The tale I spun involving the three Japanese pantheons probably seems straightforward, and it is to an extent. More will be revealed about that later on, and how it impacts Naruto.**_

* * *

 _ **REVIEW**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Here's the fourth chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

" _...And that concludes my report." said Naruto, having just given his entire report to the five kage in front of him, while omitting a few key details._

 _When the five shadows learned about the serum being a cheap knockoff, they were livid. However, that soon turned to pride, as he had told them he would not allow another country, or organization, to be better than them. His words were like music to their ears. Not only had they placated the kage, he had even been bumped up in rank. He was now a chūnin._

" _Very well. Thank you for your report, chūnin Uzumaki Naruto." said Tsunade, sending him a small smile._

 _He bowed, sending her a microscopic smile of his own, and abruptly left. Instead of celebrating this achievement with Namora, as they had done so when she was promoted, he decided to head straight home. Towards his bath and bed. He deserved it after the past couple of weeks he's had. He briefly thought about the advantages of having a higher rank but shoved that to the back of his mind. He could think about that stuff later. Right now, a warm bath and his comfortable bed were calling to him._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

 _ **~The Following Day~**_

Naruto's eyes slowly started to crack open before shutting them abruptly.

' _Damn sun.'_

Shifting his head to the side, avoiding the sun's glare, he let loose a deep yawn, and slowly began to stretch his body. After hearing a few cracks, he settled back down into a comfortable position, a very satisfied smile on his face. He simply laid there, feeling at peace for once.

A sigh escaped his lips.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Removing the sheets covering his naked body, he slid over to the edge of his bed, ready to get up, but he did not move. He just sat there, staring off into space. What he had just achieved the other day was finally sinking in. Naruto Uzumaki was a chūnin!

' _No.'_

He immediately put a stop to where his mind was taking him. He wasn't here to embrace this culture or way of life. He was here to put a stop to The Hand, to end this war faster, but damn if it didn't feel good achieving something, and being acknowledged.

"Hah!"

Sounds of a struggle reached his ears from inside his room, and had to assume a spar was taking place right now. Forcing himself to get up, he walked over to where he had last set his gear, and started to get dressed. Putting his mask on the side of his head, he stepped out of his room, and then out of the house.

' _Damn. I must have slept for a long time.'_

He remembered returning from his stateside trip about midday yesterday, and just looking at how high the sun was right now told him it was soon going to be evening. He knew he was tired, but to have slept for that long.

"Hah!"

Putting aside the fact that he could sleep for a long time, he began to watch the spar, and he was very surprised to see who it was that was sparring. It was Tsunade versus Namora, and they were going at it. Sweat was dripping down from their faces to their toned bodies, their hair was disheveled, they were bleeding, and neither seemed to care. All they cared about was the person in front of them. He found the sight of them both very arousing. They were simply mesmerizing.

He wanted a woman like that. Who didn't care what others thought. Sure he wanted her to cook and clean, but what he really wanted was a woman who could think for herself, who wasn't afraid to assert herself. A woman who could handle any situation thrown at her. What he wanted was a woman to stand by his side, not behind, not in front, but by his side, as his equal.

His older brother Steve had that, with Peggy Carter, the agent who first trained them. He wanted that for himself. Alas, it wasn't going to be so simple for him. What with the whole Tsunade situation. He let out a sigh. Out of all the problems he thought he would be facing in this war, he didn't think his love life would be near the very top.

"You're dead."

Hearing the sudden declaration, he returned from his thoughts and looked back in on the spar. Tsunade was mounting Namora, a kunai resting on her exposed throat. The Atlantean tilted her head forward a bit, acknowledging her defeat, and was let up soon after. She soon spotted him and sent him a nod, one he returned.

Aside from everything that was regarding Tsunade and the word relations, his friendship with Namora was gradually changing. He didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. It started to change after their little moment in Madripoor, where she helped raise his spirits, and then continued when he came back from Brooklyn and informer her of what her cousin had done. She had taken it much better than he expected, and even told him to do what he felt necessary in order to right the wrongs her cousin had caused. However, she also told him that if the end result was him taking Namor's life, then she would end his soon after.

He hadn't bothered to ask her what she would do if the opposite occurred and he ended up dying instead. She would probably mourn him and then move on. She had chosen to side with family when it came to his situation with her cousin, and he wasn't upset by it, he would have done the same. So, until he and the king under the sea crossed paths, or he was ready to proceed with a plan, he and Namora were still allies. He didn't know if they had grown closer after speaking honestly with one another, or further away. Only time would tell he supposed.

"Naruto!" shouted Tsunade, having spotted him watching. "You're up!"

Shrugging, he began to walk towards the training ground, after stretching. "So, what are the rules?"

"Anything goes." she replied. "Come at me with the intent to kill."

A small grin made it's way to his face the moment she finished speaking. After hearing the word mutant for the first time months ago, and doing some digging, only to find nothing, he eventually turned to Tsunade, and asked her to test him. Unfortunately, she did not have the proper equipment to test him. Other tests were run instead. Now, they still didn't know if he was a mutant or not, but they definitely knew he had a mutation.

"So that's the Sharingan..."

Naruto could hear the various murmuring of all those who had gathered to watch the spars. It was unfortunate, but he didn't have the honor of naming his mutation. All credit for that went to the busty blonde. The name had changed twice before she had eventually settled on one, the copy-wheel eye. He truly loved his eyes and the many abilities they gave him, but he wished they didn't change when he was using them. That was practically screaming he was using his power.

"Bow."

Doing as ordered, he looked over at her and found his eyes traveling to the opening of her gi, where he spotted a bit of pink near the opening. Those lessons of Adriana's were paying off, as he knew what his kage was trying to do. He took his stance. Normally, his stance was a byproduct of what Adriana had taught him, but ever since he had activated his eyes he had slowly been trying to create a style that went hand in hand with them.

Unfortunately, a restriction had been put on him and how long he could use them. Tsunade argued that she did not want him to come to rely on them when he went into battle. That being said, he could only use them on missions, and when he was sparring against her, and only her. He shook his head. He was thinking about things he shouldn't be thinking of at the moment.

Looking at her, he noticed she wasn't looking at him, and at his feet. This wasn't their first soiree with one another, nor would it be their last. In all that time, she had yet to beat him, with his eyes activated.

Namora stepped in-between her fellow blondes, raised her hand, and dropped it.

"Begin!"

The blonde kage reacted the second she saw his feet move, and the two suddenly met in the center of the training ground, elbow to elbow, knee to knee. Each was using a decent amount of strength, each vying for more position. Naruto started to push back a bit.

"Why aren't you looking me in the eye, Tsunade~?"

The Senju leader nearly lifted her head up out of instinct, but she held strong.

"You know damn well why!" she snarled, applying twice as much strength as him.

The two soon separated from one another, each on opposite ends before going back at it, each shinobi throwing their own combinations. Each looking for any kind of opening. Because once one was found by one of them, the fight would be over for the other.

* * *

The two blondes were still going at it, have been for the past twenty minutes, and while neither showed signs of slowing down anytime soon, that wasn't entirely the case. Tsunade was starting to slow down. Had been for the past ten minutes. The only way she was keeping ahead of Naruto was by using something she has yet to teach, at least fully.

 **"** _ **Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique)"**_

Naruto quickly dove out of the way from the giant fireball, and no sooner had it passed him was he up and running, aiming for Tsunade's feet. She avoided getting taken out from below by jumping up into the air, but left herself open as a result. Not a second had passed before she felt an elbow strike the guard she had put up, further launching her up in the air.

To little to late did she realize her mistake. She had been manipulated into the air, and as a result lost sight of the ground, and his feet. Now she found herself staring downwards, and directly into his dark crimson eyes. She was already losing control of her mind and body, and she began a free-fall. Her efforts of trying to snap out of her coma inducement were in vain as her eyes suddenly snapped open when she felt a painful pressure on her throat.

"You're dead."

Tsunade sighed. "I surrender."

The pressure around her throat slowly began to dissipate when it vanished completely. Looking up, she spotted Naruto's outstretched arm, offering her a hand. She did not take hold of it immediately, instead laying on her back, looking up at him. Eventually, she took hold, but instead of pulling herself up, she brought him down, right atop her, their faces inches away from one another's.

While the super-soldier didn't mind being this close to the attractive woman, he had to wonder just what was going on here. As far as he could remember, Tsunade had never acted like this after any of their other spars. Deciding to finally look her in the eyes and ask what she was doing, he was suddenly pulled closer as he felt her soft lips make contact with his.

"...You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that." she whispered.

The blonde sent her an odd look. "Really? Even when you were with those other men?"

She nodded, and a small frown appeared on his face. "Yes." she said. "Even when I was with them. All I could think about was you."she admitted. "Of that time when we first men, and shared our first kiss."

Naruto's eyes narrowed, and his jaw flexed. Something strange was going on here. The woman beneath him was acting like a completely different person. She seemed so...regretful. So, either this woman was playing him, and his emotions, for fools, or she just meant every word. Looking into her eyes, he could not tell.

His mouth opened to speak, to say something, anything, but nothing came. He just didn't know how to respond to her sudden reversal of having feelings for him again. What could he say?

"...I'm sorry, Tsunade." he finally said. He decided to speak from the heart. "If you had spoken these words to me months ago, then perhaps I may have accepted, but not now. I've moved on from that past when I finally stopped being angry at you for what you did to me." he explained. "You can order me to preform a mission for you. You can even still ask me to warm your bed at night. But if you're asking me to give you my heart again, then no. Not again."

Tsunade was stunned speechless. "...I...I see."

Naruto felt her grip on his gear loosen, and got up. The situation had went from an uncomfortable one for one person, to an awkward one for both. Knowing nothing he could say would fix this situation, he remained silent, and offered her his hand once more. She took it this time.

"...Thanks." she mumbled as she began to travel back to her home.

No more words were exchanged between the two for the rest of the day as thoughts and feelings needed to be sorted out.

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **Kingdom of Wakanda – July 19th, 1944**_

 _[Can the two of you hear me?]_

 _[We can, over]_

 _[Good. I just wanted to double check and make sure the third radio linked up with the other two.]_ said the voice of Tsunade. _[You both remember your assignments, correct?]_

 _[I am to remain by the docks, with our vessel.]_ replied Namora, signifying she was also on this mission.

 _[And I am to travel inside, with you, to retrieve precious cargo.]_ added Naruto, the only male. He was glad he had been chosen for this mission. Why? It just proved that he and Tsunade had finally moved past that exchange they had a month ago. Granted, it had taken two weeks for her to start speaking to him again, but the point is she did.

 _[Correct.]_ Tsunade said with a nod. _[Remember, only radio in if you absolutely have to. We go silent in three...two...one…]_

Naruto and Tsunade gave their Atlantean teammate a nod before sprinting towards their destination off in the horizon. Their mission: Infiltrate the Royal Palace. Their goal: Obtain Vibranium.

Normally, those in a position of power, such as Tsunade was, no longer needed to participate in the undertaking of missions for The Hand. However, this only applied after each kage had completed one mission that benefited the entire organization for years to come. It was now the Hokage's turn.

The three blonde shinobi's present had done as much research as they could in the time leading up to this mission, and they had learned a few things about this country. Not only did Wakanda have the largest quantity of Vibranium, according to their research, but it was also the purest. They also had a protector who went by the name Black Panther. After doing some digging on this character, they found out that King Azzuri of Wakanda and the Panther were one in the same.

That was as far as their intel on the king and Black Panther went. Not even their organization knew all that much about them, since Wakanda was a nation closed off to the outside world. However, what intel they were able to gather is all that mattered to the three present. Apparently, the king wore a panther medallion around his neck that they believed to be a key to a vault full of Vibranium. They were also of like mind, and believed the vault within the palace.

Naruto was also of like mind as those who believed the vault somewhere in the palace. Why? Because if he were king of one of the rarest metals on earth, he just wouldn't put it anywhere. He'd put it in a location that was secure, and where he could reach it first if need be, and nothing was more secure or closer to a man than his own home. Getting the medallion was out of the question as it was going to be next to impossible to retrieve. So, the two infiltrators decided to try and pry the vault open their way.

The blonde duo had just exited the limits of the capital city of Wakanda, Birnin Zana, and were but a few miles from reaching the palace gates. They eventually came to a stop seconds later, as the gate and palace laid before them, and it was quite the sight. The palace alone was something, but it was the two large statues on the side of it that really made it a picturesque moment. Two, giant, black panthers were placed on the sides. Snapping out of their awe, they hopped the gate, landing quietly on the other side. Tsunade looked at him and began to use sign language to give him an order. He nodded, and left her side to scout one side of the courtyard while she did the other.

' _Let's see here...'_

Activating his sharingan, he began to count each soldier stationed on his side. The grand total came out to fifteen. Once he was sure he had accounted for all of them, he patiently began to monitor their movements and routes, while pointedly ignoring their choice of uniform; white panther suits. After a solid five minutes of watching them, he decided it was time to return.

He found Tsunade there waiting for him.

 _(So, what did you learn?)_ she asked, signing the question.

Naruto sighed very quietly. _(These guards, they take their jobs very seriously. I couldn't find any sort of irregularities in their routes, or movements)_ he replied to her query. _(You?)_

 _(Same.)_ she answered, annoyed at the outcome of their investigation. _(Did you perchance spot any who may be hiding?)_

He shook his head. _(Negative. If there were some lying in wait for an intruder, then they've found a way to deceive even my eyes. I'd wager that those not out here are inside, patrolling hallways, and guarding the royal family.)_

Tsunade nodded at that logic _. (Agreed.)_

 _(So, how do you want to do this?)_ he asked. _(Because you know the instant one of the men on patrol out here doesn't check in, others will come to investigate, and the alarm will be raised.)_ he said. _(So I ask you again. How do you want to do this?)_

 _(...We find the leader of the unit out here, you hypnotize him, and then give him false orders to give to the others.)_

Naruto withheld a sigh. It was a good plan, albeit one that would take a while to execute as it would take time to find the correct man. He nodded, activated his sharingan once more, and got to work.

* * *

 _(Which way now?)_

 _(Straight ahead, and then make a left.)_ said Naruto, directing his kage to the location of the vault.

After he had located the man leading the guards outside, he ended up taking a walk through the man's mind, unaware he could even do such a thing. It was there that he had found knowledge of the vault, as all leaders, or captains as they were called, were informed of it.

 _(Is this the correct room?)_

Naruto looked around and nodded. Yes, this was the correct room. After replaying the man's memories in his head, he knew the vault was actually in the family portrait room, and it was hidden behind the largest mural.

 _(That's the one.)_ he pointed. _(The one with the Azzuri, his wife Nanali, and his two sons, T'Chaka and S'Yan.)_

She looked at him for a second. _(...Is that more knowledge from the guard? Or did you know all of their names beforehand?)_

 _(The former.)_ he answered. _(You best get to work. I'll keep watch.)_

She nodded, agreeing with him, unsealed her tools, and began to work on a way to open up the vault.

Peeking over her shoulder, he could see that fūinjutsu was Tsunade's answer to their locked vault. Not wanting to bother her with his over-the-shoulder presence, he decided to patrol the room, and quickly came to notice a theme. Azzuri loved his family, especially his children. He only assumed this because most of the portraits in the room were of them.

Turning around to look back in on Tsunade, he noticed she was about to get started when he heard a creak. His head snapped over in the direction of the door, and watched as it slowly began to open. He was in front of Tsunade in a flash, ready to protect her. He let out the breath he was holding when in walked a black cat.

' _...No, that's not a cat. It's to big.'_ he thought, and took a closer look. _'That's a panther cub.'_

After informing Tsunade it was a false alarm, and letting her return to work, he began to monitor the situation around the room once more, occasionally sending a glance at the cub. The animal wasn't doing much either, just walking around, occasionally looking their way as well. The hair on the back of his neck suddenly stood up.

' _...Something doesn't feel right.'_

Naruto couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something was wrong. It felt as if he was being watched right now, but that was impossible. There wasn't anyone other than Tsunade and himself in the room. His sharingan eye blared to life, glowing in the dark, and he meticulously began to search around the room once more, trying to find the source of his uneasiness.

He briefly glanced over the panther cub, and stopped. He now knew what was wrong. The cub, it didn't have slitted eyes like most felines. It's eyes were akin to that of a human. No sooner had he found out this little fact did the entrance door to the room burst open, and a tall, dark shadow enter, sprinting towards Tsunade. Reacting just as fast, he ended up taking the blow meant for her.

"Argh!"

The blonde super-soldier held his chest as the three claw marks bled.

"Impressive reaction time." complimented the shadow. "Impressive speed as well, without it you would not have been able to take the blow for the woman. Noble, but stupid."

There was no longer a reason to remain silent, so he spoke. "Black Panther I presume." Naruto looked the man up and down in his suit. If he had armor on, then he couldn't tell.

The man in the panther suit gave him the barest of nods, and that action alone made the blonde super-soldier frown. He and the man had just locked eyes, and yet the man gave him a response, meaning his ocular attack had failed. Not one to dwell on a failure, he moved on, and decided to try something else. Enough blood had accumulated on his fingers that he was able to fling it, and directly into the eyes of the man before him, hoping to blind him.

"Get the vault open as fast as you can." he said to his fellow blonde as he rushed the Black Panther.

Sprinting towards his attacker, he launched a kick towards the man's unguarded chest, and soon found himself recoiling. All of his forward momentum had been halted as he hit the ground. It felt like he had just run into a brick wall! Quickly shaking it off, and picking himself up, he unsheathed one of his two blades, and went back on the offensive.

It was not meant to be however as the blood obscuring Azzuri's vision was wiped away, and the man came at him, his claws out. Blade met claws, and the blade lost as it was broken. Not having time to be stunned, the blonde threw the weapon away and quickly hurtled shuriken and kunai at the man. They all bounced off the man's suit. The situation went from bad to worse in seconds as the door once more burst open, only this time more than one man entered. Guard after guard entered, all of them holding firearms.

"Hokage! Hurry up!"

One of the guards raised his firearm, ready to kill, but died before he could push the trigger via a kunai in his head. The others tensed for a second as they watched one of their comrades die before they all began to raise their weapons. It was only going to be seconds until they opened fire. Something drastic would need to happen to get them out of this situation.

Naruto pulled out an explosive tag, locked in on his target of choice, and let it fly.

"Take cover!"

 _Boom!_

Smoke and debris covered the portrait room as everyone was flung towards opposite ends.

"...How are you doing?" groaned Naruto, trying to shake off the ringing in his head, along with the possible concussion he just sustained.

Tsunade shakily got out from her own cover, took a look at her work, and then shook her head. "The blast destroyed the seal I was working on." she answered. "We're going to need the medallion."

Naruto withheld his groan when he suddenly heard a shout.

"T'Chaka! No!"

The two blondes spotted a young boy of twelve or thirteen running at them with a spear.

"For Wakanda!"

As a man who was in this war for his country, Naruto couldn't help but admire the kid's patriotism and bravery, but as a soldier, or warrior in the kid's case, he couldn't be more disappointed in him. The kid just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

Sidestepping the spear, and then slapping it out of his hands, he disarmed the boy quickly and then took him hostage. A kunai was resting on his exposed throat. He didn't enjoy doing things this way, but sometimes underhanded methods were needed, especially when it came to survival.

"Hold your fire!" ordered the king. "You may hit my son."

"A wise decision your highness."

"Bastard!" growled Azzuri. "You would use a child as a shield. Have you no honor!"

"Don't you dare speak to me of honor." said the blonde, his voice as cold as ice. "Not when you would choose to attack a woman's exposed back."

The blonde took a small breath, and exhaled. He was getting to emotional here.

"Honor is a luxury afforded to few men, especially when life and death is at stake." said Naruto. "We only do what we do to insure our survival. I'm sure that you as a king can attest to doing the same at some point."

Azzuri didn't dignify him with a response, since the assassin before him spoke the truth.

"Your silence speaks volumes." commented the blonde. "...Okay, this is how this situation is going to play out. The medallion around your neck, toss it to my comrade."

Not having much choice in the matter if he wanted to see his son safe, he tossed his medallion to the woman.

"Get inside and grab as much as you can." said Naruto, addressing Tsunade.

"I've given you what you wanted. The least you could do is stop holding that weapon to my son!"

"No, no, no. That's not how this works." he said. "You don't get to make demands of me, not when you aren't in control."

"I'm sorry, father." apologized T'Chaka, refusing to meet his father's worried eyes.

"It's okay my son. Everything is going to be fine. I promise." he said, a plan quickly formulating in his head. He looked at the intruder. "Assassin!" He grabbed Naruto's attention. "How about a swap?"

"Go on."

"Me for my son."

Naruto stared at the man for a few seconds, processing the pros and cons of the request. He liked this idea, for he may be a soldier, and a killer, but he had no desire to add child killer to the list. Plus, the king was worth more than the prince.

"Before I agree, answer me this. If it comes down to it, would you be willing to die for him." he asked the man. He received a nod full of conviction. "Very well then. Turn around with your back facing me."

Azzuri did as instructed. "What next?"

"Now I want you to remove every piece of clothing on your person, even your underwear." Naruto did not fully trust this man to not have a concealed weapon on him somewhere. "...Hokage!" he called out.

"What?!"

"How much longer?"

"Give me a few more seconds."

"Now what do you want me to do?" inquired the naked king, not caring about shame as his son was more important than how he felt.

"Start walking towards me very slowly with your hands behind your head." he replied. Tsunade was finally out of the vault. "Now stop."

Azzuri was a few feet away from the assassin duo.

"...Okay, this is how the next couple of seconds are going to play out." said Naruto. "My friend over here is going to leave first, and will not be followed. Am I clear?"

The Black Panther nodded and ordered his men to let the second assassin to leave unharmed.

"Go on. I'll catch up in a bit."

Tsunade did not want to leave him, and even lingered for a few seconds, but eventually jumped out of one of the broken windows in the room, and began to make her way towards the docks.

Seeing that she was gone, he returned to the matter at hand. "I need you to take two steps backwards towards me." he told the man. Naruto watched the man like a hawk, and the moment he was in range of him, he was behind him, a kunai pressed against his back.

"Bastard. I knew I couldn't trust you!"

Before Azzuri could do something stupid, Naruto placated the man. "Easy, Azzuri. If nothing else, I'm a man of my word." The blonde released T'Chaka, pushing the prince towards the guards.

"Now what happens?" questioned the captured king.

Naruto honestly had no clue either as he was now stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, he could throw down a few smoke-bombs and make a run for it. Was he positive he could outrun all of the men here to the docks? Yes. Was he positive that every man here knew of a secret passageway that allowed them to traverse the city faster? Also yes. So what to do?

Another option was to go for shock value. Only one scenario in his head would really give these men enough of a shock that they would allow him to escape before giving chase later on. He took a shallow breath, and exhaled.

' _Everything I do during this war I do for my country.'_

That was practically his mantra now, as he's had to keep telling himself that over and over, and if he were honest, he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to believe in it. Especially with all of the things he's done in the name of The Hand, and will probably do in the future until his mission was over.

"Truly, I am sorry for what I am about to do." he said all of a sudden. His apology was for the young prince, and his family. Multiple smoke-bomb were thrown throughout the room, enveloping the entire room in smoke.

The guards lifted up their firearms, ready to fire at a moments notice, but soon lowered them as they were in complete and utter shock.

"Father!"

Lying on the ground in front of them was King Azzuri, and he was covered in his own blood. His throat had been cut open.

"Guards, go after that man and kill him!"

The voice of prince T'Chaka roused the men from their stupor, and followed the order.

"I need another of you to retrieve our healer. Quickly! There may still be time to save my father!"

"At once my prince!"

T'Chaka stayed by his dying father's side, refusing to cry, and swearing vengeance against the man who had done this to his family.

* * *

 _ **~Three Days Later~**_

The trio of blondes had finally returned from Wakanda, after they had boated all the way to Kenya and then took a flight back to Japan, all the while being chased by Wakandan soldier's. Once they had come back, they had given the Vibranium to the blacksmiths, and were soon congratulated by everyone. Even the Kage's and their subordinates. Normally, the other Clans would never do such a thing, but since they were receiving some of the metal as well, they could afford to play nice for now.

With the mission a success, and the death of a king from a major nation that was their enemy, both Naruto and Namora were awarded the rank of jōnin. While that was cause for celebration within the Hokage's camp, Naruto wasn't feeling very celebratory.

Ever since they had escaped he hadn't been in a very talkative mood. The death of Azzuri was still very fresh on his mind. While he often thought about what he could have done differently, his mind also went to the man's children. He had just taken their father away from them, and know they were going to grow up without him. He knew what that was like, growing up without a father for half of your life.

"I'm dead tired." said Tsunade. "I think I'll take a bath and then head off to sleep." she said aloud for him to hear, hoping he would take her up on her offer.

Namora agreed. "I think I'll do the same." she said, heading towards her own room.

Naruto glanced in their direction as they both stripped naked in front of him. While he would have liked nothing more than to use sex as a distraction, and a warm shower to relax his mind and body, no amount of water would wash away the blood on his hands. They had tried speaking to him about what happened, but he just ignored them. He didn't feel like talking about it right now, not yet. Right now, he just needed to be alone with his thoughts.

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **August 13th, 1944**_

The blonde super-soldier stifled a yawn from escaping his mouth. He was currently sitting down near the training ground, watching Namora and another spar from afar. The two combatants were using the Sai's as their choice of weapon, and judging by what he was seeing, the Atlantean was very proficient in using them, easily dominating her opponent.

Speaking of his Atlantean teammate, their friendship had taken another step forward. To where exactly was unknown to him, but he liked the direction it was going in. After his whole episode of not wanting to speak with anyone a month ago, Namora had to forcefully sit him down and ordered him to tell her what was going on with him. So he did. She hadn't interrupted him once, and merely sat there, listening to everything he had to say. It was a weight off of his shoulders.

Thinking back on it now, he was glad she had forcefully sat him down to discuss what was wrong. He felt much better now. That'll be a moment he never forgets, not only because of what she went out of her way to do for him, but it was also the moment they took a step forward in their friendship. They had shared their first kiss together.

A large smile made it's way onto his face just thinking about that day. It was true that they decided to take things slow, but that was only for outside appearances. Whenever they were alone they showed their affections for one another. He sighed, he was in a good place right now, despite all around him. He knew he may be jumping the gun here, but he felt he could trust Namora.

Getting up from his seat, and dusting himself off, he began to walk away from the training grounds. He had been called to Tsunade's main office in the center of the island a while back. Why, he didn't know. He walked into the building shared by all of the kage's, he found her door and knocked.

 _Knock!_

 _Knock!_

 _"Enter."_

 _Opening the door, he entered her office and was very surprised to see the other kage standing behind her. He suddenly grew very uneasy._

' _Did they find out who I was? Or what I'm here to do?'_

He mentally shook his head. He was letting paranoia take it's hold of him. That being said, he was ready to activate his eyes at a moment's notice.

"What's going on?" he asked, wanting to get straight to the point.

Everyone but Tsunade looked at one another, uncertainty in their eyes. "We've been contacted by the Master." stated the blonde kage. "...They wish to meet you."

Naruto's eyes widened before he schooled his features. This was going to be his first time meeting this so-called Master. Whatever this person wanted would decide how he would proceed with his mission.

"...Why me?" he finally asked. It was the only question that really came to mind.

"We've been asking ourselves the same thing." stated the Raikage, not liking this. "We were merely contacted by them, and were told that they wished to meet you."

The blonde was frowning. "You keep saying words like them, or they. Why?"

"Because the Master appears differently to everyone." replied the Mizukage. "To me, there stood the most handsome man I had ever seen."

"To us," The Tsuchikage pointed to himself, the Kazekage, and the Raikage. "There was merely a shadow with no form."

"Perhaps that's because you three lack imagination." snickered the Mizukage.

Before they could retort, they were interrupted. "What is their location?" asked Naruto.

"Unknown." answered the Kazekage. "Their location is everywhere yet nowhere."

The super-soldier didn't like the cryptic answer. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you need to get lost first, and once you are, you're in the right place."

That still didn't make a lick of sense to him, but he nodded all the same. "Okay. When do I leave?"

"Immediately." answered Tsunade. "Once you're done gathering what you need, head out."

He gave her a nod and left the room. It was finally time to meet this mysteries leader of The Hand, and truly start his mission of taking them down.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Days Later~**_

"Alright. I'm definitely lost." muttered Naruto, looking at the mountainous area of Yahazudake as he was back on the mainland of Nagasaki. "Okay, so just how exactly am I supposed to find this Master?"

" _Follow my voice..."_

His eyes widened as he frantically began to search every direction, trying to locate the voice. It was faint, like it had been carried by the wind, but he knew he had heard it.

" _Follow my voice, young one."_

' _There it was again!'_

The second time he'd heard it was much clearer. To his ears, the voice sounded as sweet as honey, and as smooth as silk. It sent shivers down his entire body, and it definitely sounded female. Though there was a stark difference between this voice and the regular voice of a female.

It just sounded...wrong. It sounded to perfect. Simply put, it sounded otherworldly and unnatural to him. It was only now that he realized he may be dealing with something way over his head.

"W-Where are you?" he inquired, cursing himself for stuttering.

A dark figure suddenly appeared before him, and began to take the shape of a beautiful woman.

" _I am everywhere yet nowhere."_ replied the ethereal woman. _"I have called you here for a very specific reason, Uzumaki Naruto."_

"...What can I possibly do for you?"

" _I'm lost and I wish to return home."_ she said. _"Since I'm so far away, my power isn't as strong, so I can't do it myself. What I need from you is to find me an anchor that I can follow home and tether my presence to."_ she explained. _"I recently sensed a strong source of energy break into our reality. It was a short burst, but I felt it. I of course cannot do anything about it. That's why I have called for you."_

"Why me? There are others who are far more experienced and stronger than I."

" _Simple. Out of all those within The Hand, you have the most potential, and I wish to...cultivate that into something magnificent."_ she revealed, surprising him with her logic. _"Succeed and I will not only promote you to the seat of kage, giving you the title of Uzukage, my sixth shadow, but my second-in-command as well."_

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but shut it. His head was spinning. This was exactly the opportunity he, and his government, have been waiting for. His rational side soon kicked in, and knew this just happened to be to good to be true. There had to be a catch, though he couldn't fathom what it was.

" _Do you accept?"_

He looked up at the ethereal woman, and nodded.

"I do. I accept." he answered. "Where can I locate this energy source? And what exactly do you want me to do about it?"

" _It's location is in Italy."_ she said, and soon gave him the coordinates to it's location. _"What I want you to do is locate the actual source, contain it anyway you can, and then call out to me."_

"That's it?"

" _Yes."_

"If that's the case, why do you need me? You already have it's location."

" _Because it is as I stated earlier. My power is weak, and if I were to interact with a power greater than my own, as I am now, it would destroy me."_

"And it won't do the same to me?"

" _No."_ she replied. _"And I'm not asking you to interact with it, merely contain it so others do not find it."_ explained the ethereal woman _. "Any other questions?"_

"How will I know when I've found it?"

" _Trust me. You'll know."_ she said. _"Anything else?"_

He shook his head. He soon left her presence, and decided to return back to the compound so that he could prepare for his long-term trip to Italy.

* * *

 _ **~Two Weeks Later~**_

After returning from his visit to the Master, and various questions from the kage's, Naruto had finally reached his destination after following the coordinates given to him. Which just happened to take him into the territory of the Italian Social Republic; a group created by Benito Mussolini.

Had he known he was going this deep into enemy territory, he would have done more research so he could have screwed over the former fascist leader of Italy. While he himself would not be able to do this, another group would. After arriving at the coordinates, he had nearly bumped into a group of men who hated his guts.

Captain America and his Howling Commandos. Just behind them was Jim Hammond, a man that he did not recognize, and...Namor. He had to calm himself down at the sight of the king. How his brother had not already ripped him a new one he did not know. Either he already had, or he had simply forgiven the man. He shook his head. He was letting his anger cloud his mind.

Curious as to why such an esteemed group was behind enemy lines, he decided to snoop, and he had learned quite a bit from their chatter alone. The group was on a black-ops mission, that much was easy to see. They were escorting a man named Paul Anselm, a private, back into Italy. Why? Because this man had managed to escape the clutches of Mussolini after he and his unit were captured. They were going to use his escape route to infiltrate the dictator's small nation, and capture him.

* * *

After following the group for nearly an hour, which coincidentally happened to be near the coordinates he was given, give or take a few miles away, he had learned something important about this mission. It was not only a mission to capture Mussolini, but it was also to rescue Anselm's unit. Turns out that there was a reason behind their capture other than being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Not only did they have sensitive information on other missions being carried out by the Allies, but they also had information on plans soon to be executed by the Axis.

The group, plus one shinobi, stopped when everyone spotted a lit up area twenty feet below them in a small valley. Peering down, all of them were bearing witness to a horrific scene. It was a firing squad. Judging by the way Anselm was acting, that was his unit, his family, down there, bound and gagged.

Naruto watched as the private nearly disobeyed a direct order from Steve to stay put, and had to order one of the Commandos to restrain the man, lest he expose them all. He heard his brother ask Hammond if he could fly down and rescue the men. The Human Torch said he could, but doing so would also alert Mussolini of their presence, possibly scaring the man off, never to be found again. Naruto bore witness as his brother just made one of the hardest decisions of his life, choosing not to give the order to save the man down below. It was unfortunate, as he was sure his brother wanted nothing more than to save those men, but he had to think of the mission, and the lives of his own men.

The next few seconds transpired in slow motion. All those who were still loyal to Mussolini, and his regime, were lined up, had their firearms cocked, aimed, and then fired, killing Anselm's unit.

The blonde super-soldier silently offered up a prayer for those men, as no soldier deserved to die like that when he suddenly felt an enormous weight being dropped on him. Before long he was on his hands and knees, struggling to breathe, much like the rest around him. It felt like he was being buried under tons of dirt. Before he, or anyone else for that matter, could try and escape, they blacked out, no longer able to stay conscious under the increasing pressure.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

Naruto suddenly awoke with a gasp, and bolted upwards, only to hold his head in agony as he laid back down.

"Oh, my head..." he groaned. The pain slowly started to dissipate, and very slowly, he began to get on his feet. He stood up, but soon found out that was a mistake. His head began to spin, and he quickly lifted up his mask, vomiting. "...Ugh, I feel a bit better now." he said, wiping his mouth.

Looking around, he soon had to cover his nose as his enhanced smell betrayed him to the horrid stench of garbage on a hot day. Holding his nose, he continued to look around and noticed that he was in an alley, though last time he checked, he was nowhere near such a place in Italy.

Deciding he could get a better view of wherever he was from above, he added chakra to his feet and scaled the brick wall in front of him. No sooner had he reached the top did he begin to hyperventilate as he fell back onto his knees. He slowly began to calm his breathing down. He was trained to deal with crazy situations, and he was in one helluva one right now.

"I've got a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore..." he muttered. He would have laughed at the reference as it fit his current situation, and since he liked that movie, but he just couldn't bring himself to.

He was back in New York, there was no denying that, but it was vastly different than how he used to remember it. Everything was different. The cars down below were sleeker, brighter, and moved a lot faster. The clothes were as different as the people who wore them. Never had he seen a person with such colorful designs over their body. The people also kept talking into their hands, into some small box. Even the televisions were different. Last he checked, they weren't supposed to be flat.

' _Just what the hell is going on here?'_

He soon spotted a familiar landmark, the Empire State Building, and took some comfort in the fact that not everything was different.

' _First things first, I need information.'_

He began to leap from rooftop to rooftop, making his way towards the familiar building, as there was a public library near there. That would be his first, er, second stop. He soon realized that his choice of clothing just may make him standout a bit, and attention was the last thing he wanted. After he got himself some new clothes, then he would head over to the library.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Four**_

* * *

 _ **For those of you who read the original chapter, you no doubt noticed I removed one key thing. The relationship between Naruto and Tsunade. After thinking about it, I couldn't justify them getting together after everything that's happened between them. So, instead I went with Namora. Though even that might not end well by the time the World War Arc is finished.**_

 _ **The addition of the Sharingan eye is not original for Naruto receiving a power, but it's the choice I decided to go with as there is a reason he received it. So just be patient as the answer will be revealed soon. To those of you who are new to this story anyways.**_

* * *

 _ **REVIEW**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Here is the fifth chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

" _I've got a feeling I'm not in Kansas anymore..." he muttered. He would have laughed at the reference as it fit his current situation, and since he liked that movie, but he just couldn't bring himself to._

 _He was back in New York, there was no denying that, but it was vastly different than how he used to remember it. Everything was different. The cars down below were sleeker, brighter, and moved a lot faster. The clothes were as different as the people who wore them. Never had he seen a person with such colorful designs on their body. The people also kept talking into their hands, into some small box. Even the televisions were different because last he checked, they weren't supposed to be flat._

' _Just what the hell is going on here?'_

 _He soon spotted a familiar landmark, the Empire State Building, and took some comfort in the fact that not everything was different._

' _First things first, I need information.'_

 _He began to leap from rooftop to rooftop, making his way towards the familiar building, as there was a public library near there. That would be his first, er, second stop. He soon realized that his choice of clothing just may make him standout a bit, and attention was the last thing he wanted. After he got himself some new clothes, then he would head over to the library._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

 _ **~A Day Later~**_

Naruto couldn't stop shaking his head in utter amazement since entering the library, still not believing what was in front of him, or what he was reading for that matter. After he had 'acquired' a new pair of pants, a t-shirt, and a black and orange hoodie, as the label said, he had gone straight to the library. Which hadn't changed all that much on the outside, or the inside, well, except for a few things.

No longer did you need to use a library catalog to find things, well you did, but it was now digital, and on things called computers. Which he found fascinating by the way, along with the internet. To be able to acquire information in a matter of seconds was astounding, and it was at everyone's fingertips.

Anyways, once he stopped salivating over all the technology, he got to work. After learning just how to use a computer, the first thing he checked was the date on the home-screen. It told him it was the year 2007, even though he clearly remembered it being 1944. He knew there were plenty of unexplainable mysteries in the world, but even he had a hard time believing in time-travel. For him to be transported sixty-three years into the future seemed preposterous. It was like something out a science fiction story, and he liked those!

However, the possibility of him time-traveling seemed insignificant when compared to the article he was currently reading. He idly remembered learning about the American Civil War back in school, but even that war paled in comparison to the one he was reading about. Those who had experienced it firsthand simply referred to it as the Superhuman Civil War. The super-soldier leaned back in his chair, and merely sat there, processing those three words for a solid minute.

' _Superhuman Civil War...'_

The thought of such a thing was just so...foreign to him. He couldn't even begin to imagine what a war like that must've been like. In the war he was currently fighting in, the most he had to worry about was guns, explosives, Nazi's, Hydra agents, chemicals, and occasionally a superhuman. From what this article was saying though, there were hundreds who had participated in the war. Though only one name that caught his attention.

' _Just how did Steve manage to make it this far in the future?'_

How his older brother had managed to do this was beyond him, and the fact the photograph he was looking at showed he hadn't aged a day didn't go unnoticed either. He immediately ruled out the super-soldier serum. Sure it would keep him alive, but not at the age he was in the photo. He was far to young looking.

' _Something must've happened in the past.'_

It was the only thing that made sense to him. Returning back to the computer screen, he kept reading the article, in hopes of them perhaps mentioning how he arrived in this era. No such luck. However, he did find something that made him smile.

' _It seems that no matter the time period, somethings never change.'_

He just read that his brother was fighting on the side opposing the superhuman registration act, which was the prelude to the whole war. If there was one thing he believed his brother would be doing it was fighting for people's rights, whether they be regular humans or superhumans. What he couldn't quite wrap his head around was the fact that while Steve won many a fights, he eventually ended up losing the war. His brother losing was another foreign concept to him.

While the article stated he had lost, the photograph he was currently looking at told a different story. In which his brother was about to win if not for the interference of the public. The American citizens were holding him back from bashing in the skull of a man called Tony Stark, known to the world as Iron Man. Looking at the man closer, he could see his resemblance to Howard.

' _I wonder how Howard would react if he saw his son fighting against his friend?'_

Seeing as he couldn't ask the man, and since there was no point in getting mad over something that had already taken place, he decided to move on. Scrolling further down the page, looking for another article, he soon found himself frowning.

The next article about Steve was about him being taken into custody by something called SHIELD, and being taken to court for a trial, but something was wrong. The entire piece was blacked out after the title. He didn't understand. Why would they even bother putting this out if they were just going to censor it anyway? Two answers came to mind. Either the government was trying to cover up something from public view, which he doubted as it went against the first amendment, or this was something that everyone agreed to forget.

' _I wonder what could be so bad that they decided to censor this?'_

He let out a sigh. After moving past that censored article, he tried finding something on the aftermath of the war, but all of that was censored as well. Deciding to take a break from reading about a war that wasn't his, he decided to look into something else, technology. He had never lost his interest the subject since joining The Hand, he just couldn't get info on any of the latest advancements. As he continued to surf the net, clicking link after link, scrolling down page after page, he was simply in awe of everything he came across.

' _Truly, the future is a bright place.'_

Naruto had been sorely tempted into writing down a few of the ideas he had seen, but thought better of it in the end. Not only would he be stealing another scientist's hard-work and genius, but he wouldn't have the same tools to re-create their works of art back in the forties. So it would be a waste.

Leaning back once more, he sighed again and looked up at the ceiling. While he would like nothing more than to sort everything he's learned, he couldn't laze about. He needed to find a way back home. Not only for him, but for the others who were most likely taken as well, even if none of them didn't want his help. Because if there was one thing his science fiction stories had taught him, it was that things usually tended to go bad when someone from the past was in the future, and vice versa.

Turning off the monitor, and then the computer, he got up, stretched, and noted that something was off about his surroundings. Everyone who had been in the computer section, which wasn't many, were gone. It wasn't just them though.

'W _onder where everyone went?'_

The once full library was now desolate, leaving him as the only human among the literature. Deciding to see if the others had simply moved to other sections, he began to check the entire building. From the reception desk, the aisles, and even the restrooms. The whole place was empty.

' _Must've been a town meeting or something.'_ he thought. _'Man, people in the future sure do things way differently than those of us in the past.'_

Shrugging off their custom, he pulled his head over his head, and exited the library, only to come to an abrupt halt. Standing in front of him was a group of very oddly dressed individuals.

"Who are you lot supposed to be?" he asked, feigning some ignorance. He knew their group, how could he not when it was mentioned over and over in the articles. The individuals themselves he did not know, well, all but one.

"We're the Mighty Avengers." answered Iron Man, the only one he knew amongst the group.

The others in the group consisted of a beautiful blonde woman, in leotard, that looked like a cross of both Namora and Tsunade, a deadly combination in his opinion. Next in line was a raven haired beauty in a red unitard. After her was yet another beauty, though this one had red hair, and had pistols trained on him. Next was a large man wearing crimson shades, then a blonde male wearing a blue cape and a yellow unitard. After him was the largest man, who had a very large battle ax. The last was another raven haired beauty, though the biggest difference between her and the other women was that she had wings on her back.

"Really now?" He raised a brow. "What exactly make you mighty? And just what are you avenging?"

Most of them gave him half-assed, half-hearted, answers. The one in the red unitard suddenly pointed to the largest man of their group. The one with the ax resting on his shoulder.

"He's the God of War." she said, as if that was an answer to his previous question.

Naruto actually scoffed. He was ready to believe that there are things far above his understanding, but he was not ready to believe that the fool in front of him was a god, no less the God of War, ha!

"I see you're all beauty and no brains."

"Hey!"

"If you think the fool next to you is an actual god." he said, insulting both the man and woman.

"Enough!" screamed the woman in the leotard, finally having snapped.

' _I thought I heard someone gnashing their teeth. Turns out it was her.'_

The blonde beauty suddenly took off flying towards him. To bad for her that his eyes as they were could track her. She would need to go a helluva lot faster if she wanted to get the drop on him, and even then it might not be enough. Not when he still had his other set of eyes. As she grew closer, he simply sidestepped her at the last possible second, and then brought his hand down in an open palm, inadvertently smacking her unprotected backside, hard. She hit the deck.

"Ow!"

Naruto had to admire the woman's toughness as she was up not a second later, trying to play off that she was hurting. He had been spanked by his mother before, so he knew what kinda pain she was going through. She was glaring daggers at him, and he frowned when he noticed her lip trembling a bit.

The super-soldier grimaced. "You're not gonna cry, are you?" he asked. He hoped he just didn't make a girl cry. Because if he did, then his father was going to wring his neck when they met in the afterlife.

"No!" she denied vehemently. "I just have some dust in my eye from being on the floor." she explained and then pointed at him accusingly. "That was sexual harassment!"

Now it was Naruto's turn to deny her accusation. "That was self-defense! You were all up in my face!"

The blonde woman narrowed her eyes in anger as she heard him trying to justify what he had just done to her as self-defense.

' _Uh oh.'_

The only shinobi present recognized that look. It was the same look the two blondes from The Hand got when he did something that annoyed or made them mad. It was a look that promised nothing but pain.

The others merely watched their interaction in either interest, or boredom. Tony was part of the former group, but he also had other things on his mind. Like finding Bucky and giving him Steve's last will and testament, which also contained a letter addressed to him about continuing the legacy of Captain America. His focus shifted when he received an urgent call.

"There's a what!?" he yelled, and suddenly turned very serious. "Spider-Woman, Black Widow, and Ares. You three are to remain here and assist Ms. Marvel in apprehending our time-traveling ninja."

' _How does he know I'm a ninja?'_ thought Naruto.

"What's going on, Tony?" questioned the redhead whom Naruto now knew as Black Widow.

"I just received a call that explains the mystery of how our time displaced friends got here."

Naruto caught the plural thrown in there. That meant the others from the past were already captured.

"Sentry, Wonder Man, and Wasp. You three are with me." ordered Iron Man. The man blasted off into the sky soon after, followed closely by the others.

' _...Do they truly believe I'm an equal threat to whatever had Tony so spooked that he left half of his forces here?'_ He mentally shook his head. There was no point in thinking about it, the man was gone.

The remaining four Avengers looked back at him and began to slowly advance.

"I'm curious. Just how were you able to find me?" he asked, curious to know before they begun their dance.

"Stark was able to track all of you by tracing the energy trail from where you appeared." answered the so-called God of War. "I on the other-hand was able to track you specifically because of all the godly energy within you." he revealed.

Naruto's own eyes widened a bit. _'...What does he mean by godly energy?'_ His question would have to remain unanswered as all four charged at him simultaneously.

Seeing as he couldn't very well fight all four head-on, as that was akin to suicide, he decided that his best course of action was to retreat. What he needed was open space, and to separate them. Though that last one would be difficult. His sudden tactic had achieved a bonus effect, catching them off-guard. Though it would only last so long until-

 _Bam!_

 _Bang!_

He was suddenly rocketed by a blast that came from his flank. He rolled on the ground for a few before coming to a complete stop.

' _...Ow. Okay, that was pretty quick.'_

Shrugging off the pain, he looked up and spotted a mop of blonde and red hair from afar, one with a hand full of glowing energy, the other with a smoking gun. He then spotted Ares coming right at him with his ax raised, and the others close behind him. He quickly checked his body, and nodded. The energy blast had only scorched the hoodie while the bullet had gone clean through his shoulder.

' _It's a good thing I wore my kevlar under the hoodie.'_ he thought, removing his mask from the side of his head and putting it on his face.

Ares was now seven seconds away from reaching him. Removing two kunai, he rushed the man, slid between his open legs as the ax came down behind him, and slashed at his heels. Both kunai broke on impact. The man sent him a smug smirk.

' _Okay then. Let's try something else.'_

Quickly getting up, he wrapped his arms around Ares waist and used his strength. This was also sort of a test for himself as he wanted to see how strong he was exactly. Lifting up the man, he threw him, and he just happened to collide with the one known as Ms. Marvel, halting her progress. He didn't have much time to celebrate, and threw down a few smoke-bombs.

Using the smoke as cover, he ran once more, this time up a building. Unfortunately, he wasn't getting very far. The ones called Spider-Woman and Black Widow were hot on his trail, with the other two not all that far behind.

 _Bang!_

 _Bang!_

Bullets were zooming past his head. He knew they were warning shots, but damn if they weren't close to hitting him! Activating his sharingan, he soon began to dance around them when he suddenly felt his face heat up, and an erection forming in his pants.

 _Bang!_

"Argh!"

He had just been shot again, only this time it didn't go clean through! He looked at the redhead.

"...You shot me again." he panted.

"You'll live." she said, a small smirk tugging on her lips.

Naruto managed a grin behind his mask. He was glad to see there were still women who weren't afraid to get their hands dirty, or kick ass. On the plus side, the pain had brought him back to reality after that strange episode from just a few seconds ago. Ignoring the pain, he got up off the ground when he suddenly felt the tingle in his jingles. His heartbeat was beating twice as fast as it should, and he felt himself getting turned on by the two women in front of him.

His eyes suddenly widened. It seems his own enhancements had betrayed him once more. With his sharingan active, he was able to see some type of invisible dust wafting through the air, towards him.

The perpetrator was Spider-Woman.

He grit his teeth as his primal instincts were rising to the surface as he drank in her entire form in that skintight bodysuit she was wearing. His knees were starting to go weak.

' _Get a hold of yourself!'_

The raven haired beauty in front of him was the most dangerous foe that was chasing him, there were no if's and' or buts about it. She needed to be taken out first. Removing a kunai from his pouch, he cut himself, and instantly his desire had faded. Before she could ensnare him a third time, he disappeared via body flicker, and reappeared behind her, taking her by surprise. He then wrapped his arm around her neck, and applied a rear naked choke, something Adriana had taught him.

Spider-Woman began to flail around, using her superhuman strength, but to no avail. She didn't really anticipate the man that they were chasing to be a superhuman as well, or that he would be much much stronger than her. Her vision was beginning to fade.

Seeing the ledge right behind him, Naruto suddenly dove off, Spider-Woman in hand. This caused both Black Widow and Ms. Marvel to scream after their friend and teammate. The remaining trio quickly sped over to the edge and peered down below, only to see their teammate on the ground, not moving, and the man standing over her.

They made their way down and rushed him once more. Only this time, he did not run. He had stayed to fight, and he was easily predicting their movements, using their own strength against them.

"Why is it suddenly so hard to hit him!?" raged Ms. Marvel.

"Perhaps it's because he now has more room to operate?" offered up Black Widow.

Ms. Marvel kept trying to tag him with energy blasts but kept missing every time. "I feel like I'm going up against a more mature web-head here."

Ares and Black Widow nodded at her assessment of the man they were fighting. He was just as fluid in his movements, and was able to predict where they were going to attack him next.

"You are correct." nodded Ares. "Though I warn you. The man in front of us is a warrior through and through. I can practically smell the blood on him."

His statement hardened the two heroines eyes. They knew they were dealing with a man out of time here, who was fighting in a world war, but it still didn't make it any easier knowing he had blood on his hands. Naruto happened to catch what he said, and it didn't sit well with him.

"Who are you to judge me, and what I do for my country." he said, and then looked at all three of them with accusing eyes. "You say you can smell the blood on me, well, don't be so quick to cast the first stone my friend, not when the same could be said of the three of you." He'd smelt the blood on them as well.

None who were facing him neither admitted or denied his accusations, and just decided to remain as silent as possible and resume their mission of his capture.

Taking advantage of their momentary lapse, he suddenly appeared in front of Black Widow, and their eyes met. She was beginning to fall to the ground, unconscious, but not before Naruto kneed her in the stomach. He didn't like kicking her when she was about to go down, but he needed to deceive them into thinking that's how he knocked her out.

The other two were getting ready to charge him once more, and he suddenly sighed. He doubted the other two had noticed it, but he had. The looks of terror on the faces of the civilians watching. Most of which were aimed at him. It was with great reluctance that he made his decision. The people of this great city had gone through enough.

"I surrender." he suddenly announced, hands raised.

If he had known doing this would have gotten Ms. Marvel to make her current face of disbelief, then he would have done it far earlier. A smirk grew behind his mask, seeing her all frustrated and stuff. She was trying her hardest not to strangle him right now.

"Hold. Out. Your. Hands." she ordered, her teeth grit.

He did as told, and she then cuffed him with what looked like Adamantium. Or was it Vibranium? He shrugged. He couldn't tell the difference between the two. Seeing her struggle putting them on him, he decided to poke some fun at her.

"Cuffs huh. That's pretty kinky." He remembered seeing a woman in a movie he was watching using them on a man. After that Steve escorted the both of them out frantically.

Ms. Marvel looked at him with the straightest face he had ever seen, not even a twitch. "Ares." she called out. Naruto raised a brow, wondering what she was doing. "He was resisting arrest, wasn't he?"

The large man suddenly grinned, and nodded.

"That's an abuse of pow-"

 _Bam!_

The heroine in the leotard brought her fist down atop his head, knocking him out with one punch.

She let out a breath. "...I feel better now." she said. "Now then. Let's see who's behind the mask..."

Try as she could, try as she might, she could not lift the mask with all her might. It wasn't that it was heavy, more like it was stuck. She shrugged. She wasn't about to cry because she couldn't get it off. She then kicked him towards Ares while she went to retrieve her two friends. They flew back to the helicarrier soon after.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

Naruto awoke with a gasp once more, and bolted upright again, only to lay back down.

"...Talk about Déjà vu." His head was hurting again. "I think you may have given me a concussion."

"You're lucky that's all I gave you!"

He let out a sigh. "Like I said. It was self-defense." How many times would he have to state it.

Not about to venture into another argument, Ms. Marvel walked out of the room. He meanwhile finally noticed that he was sitting in a cell, and sitting across from him were some familiar faces, and a few not so familiar faces. Though he did also notice that Steve and Namor were missing, though he could care less about the latter.

"Hey you." He called out to the newest member of the Howling Commandos. "What's your name? You look familiar."

"...Nick Fury, and I don't see how, I've never met you before."

Naruto kept staring at the man, and then really looked at him. Yes, he could see it now. It was quite an uncanny resemblance between Nick and his father, Jack. He wanted to ask him how he joined up with the Commandos, but the man turned away from him. He decided to address the unknown.

"Who's the creepy clown?"

He was referring to the man located in the furthest prison cell, but also the most heavily guarded one. The man had a white cape, white and black mask, white gloves, a black bodysuit, and red eyes. All in all, he cut quite a scary clown.

It was at this point that Stark entered the room, and decided to answer his question. "That my friend is a demon known as D'Spayre, and the reason all of you are here."

"How is he responsible?"

Ms. Marvel snorted. "Like we'd tell you that-"

"Cause of this." Stark took out a small glowing cube. "See, the creepy clown feeds on fear, grief, you name a negative emotion and he probably feeds on that to. Anyways, he used this cosmic cube here to amplify his ability to feed, and it did. He used the grief everyone's feeling since the death of..." Tony paused. "...Since the death of a dear friend, and it then inadvertently transported the man we were all missing, to the present, along with the rest of you."

"Tony, are you sure you should be showing and telling so much?" questioned the blonde in the leotard.

Iron Man shrugged. "What, it's not like they're going to remember any of this anyway."

"What do you mean?" asked one of the Howling Commandos, finally speaking.

Naruto knew what Stark was getting at. It was dangerous to the time stream, or whatever they called it. He just had one question. Who was it that they missed so much that an all powerful item granted their wish and brought forth a group from the forties?

"C'mon, it's not like we're can to send you back home with everything you've seen of the future. That'd be bad for business." said Tony, who then looked at the lone shinobi. "By the way, Ms. Marvel has personally volunteered to erase your mind. Aren't you one lucky sonuva gun."

Naruto grimaced. "Uh, can I get someone else, please?"

Only one stepped up, but she also wore the same vicious grin that Ms. Marvel wore. It was Spider-Woman. They opened his cell and stepped in.

"Call me all beauty and no brains will you." she growled.

"Time to go to sleep." Ms. Marvel cracked her knuckles.

 _Boom!_

All of them heard the explosion, and all of them felt it as well as everyone was knocked off of their feet onto each other.

"Get off!" shouted Ms. Marvel and Spider-Woman, as Naruto laid atop them.

Getting up off of each other, Stark soon began to issue orders to his team. Something about dealing with rogue LMD's, whatever those were, and the sudden appearance of a rogue Avengers team. The entirety of the Mighty Avengers was up and at 'em in a matter of seconds, trailing behind their leader.

"We'll be back." said Ms. Marvel as she closed his cell door, and followed the others up top.

"Ow." Naruto had hit his head again after the explosion.

 _Boom!_

Another explosion was heard and felt by all, though this one was big enough to jar the cell doors open for everyone. By this point, the blonde was sitting up, rubbing the spot where he hit his head when his eyes snapped open. The barrel of a gun had been placed atop his forehead. He, very carefully, looked up and into the eyes of Bucky.

"Easy there friend." he said slowly. He needed to reason with his best friend. "...If you kill me here in the future, then who knows what repercussions we'll face." he explained. He honestly didn't know what would happen if a person from the past died at the hands of another from the past in the future, and he wasn't willing to test the theory. "If you want to kill me, then do it in the past. For now, we should work together so we can find a way back home. So, truce?"

Naruto held his hand out, ready to shake on it, and then watched as Bucky began to debate the pros and cons. Eventually, he put the gun down and slapped his hand away.

' _Well, I suppose that's the best I could hope for.'_

He was technically the last person out of his cell, as D'Spayre was still in his, and he trailed behind the group as they tried finding the exit. After getting turned around, they decided to just go up. They were somehow able to make it outside, and the moment they did they spotted three groups. Two were of the costumed variety, which just happened to include his brother and Namor, and both costumed groups were fighting the last. A group of what appeared to be...robots?

"Destroy every Ultron sentinel before it can infect any more LMD's!" shouted Tony.

Both teams heard the order and sprang into action. His eyes were on his brother the entire time, and when he saw Steve's iconic shield go careening over the side, his instinct kicked in and he went over after it. Hindsight is twenty-twenty as they say, but how was he supposed to know they were so high up in the sky!

' _Oh crap.'_

If he didn't do something, and quick, then he was going to end up a stain on the pavement. He was very lucky though, and someone up there decided to lend him a hand. It was Ms. Marvel.

"Don't look to deep into this." she said. "I just don't know what your death could mean for the future."

"Thanks."

She gave him a small nod and dropped him back off on the battlefield. Naruto soon spotted his brother again, going up against three of the robots, and decided to help him out. Winding back, he threw the shield as hard as he could, cutting a few robots who tried getting in his way in half along the way. His brother spotted his shield on it's way back to him, kicked his enemies away, gave him a nod, and then proceeded to pummel the crap out of the robots. Before he could enter the fray, all of the robots began to twitch before dropping to the ground.

' _What just happened?'_

"Truce, Anthony."

Everyone heard the suave voice and looked up. A levitating man was descending towards them.

"...Alright. You got a truce, but only until these guys are returned to the past." replied Tony, who then looked around at the robots, and then at the man. "Coulda really used that in the beginning, doc."

"I apologize, but I was preoccupied with making sure that the master of the prisoner you hold down below was not making an attempt to enter our reality." he explained. He then looked at the confused faces of the soldiers out of time. "Pardon my rudeness. I have not introduced myself. My name is Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme, and the group behind me are my comrades."

One after the other, they all began to introduce themselves to the men out of time, except to Steve and Namor, as those two had already been introduced to the group.

"Luke Cage." waved a large black man.

"Hiya! I'm Spider-Man."

"Wolverine." grunted the shortest man.

"Ronin." spoke the most shinobi looking member opposite Naruto.

"Mockingbird." greeted the only woman.

Everyone nodded to one another.

"I hate to breakup this little gathering before someone breaks out the acoustic guitar and starts singing Kumbaya, but we still have to send them back." reminded Tony.

"Correct." nodded Strange. "If you would, Anthony."

Stark nodded and took out the cube once more.

"Will anything change when we go back?" asked the only regular human amongst the group full of superhumans.

"No." replied Stark, crushing Anselm's hope. "Nothing in the past can be allowed to be changed. It must all remain the same. Which is why when I send you lot back, none of you are going to remember."

As the cube began to glow with power, someone shot forward, and snatched the cube from Tony's possession, catching everyone off-guard. It was Anselm, and before anyone could even think of making a move, he vanished, but not before leaving them with a few parting words.

"If you won't help me save my comrades, my family, then I will."

A large thrum of power pulsed throughout, assaulting those present.

"Oh dear."

Doctor Strange shielded those closest to him as the entire world felt the power of the cosmic cube.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

"Ow. Did anybody get the license plate of the truck that hit us?"

"...Shut up web-head." grunted Wolverine.

"I don't believe it, we're..." muttered Stark, his scanners accurately showing him what he was seeing.

"Back in 1944." said Naruto and Steve, both men already on their feet, looking into the distance, both frowning. They then looked to one another, and before one could start a fight with the other, someone interrupted.

"No, this isn't our 1944. Take a closer look." said Bucky, the third to have gotten up. The two brothers looked away from one another, and then nodded with their friend's assessment, as they had also seen it.

Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, Spider-Woman, Wasp, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Wolverine, and the Howling Commandos all looked to where the three were looking. It was a flag, but not just any flag. The flag that was flying proudly had the symbol of Hydra emblazoned on it.

"Just what in the world is going on here?"

Naruto ignored the question in favor of looking at those present. Aside from a few of the Avengers not being present, everyone from the forties was present, with the exception of three. Anselm, Namor, and Hammond.

"So, what's the plan?" asked the Wasp.

Everyone, even those from the future, immediately looked to Steve for the answer, though it was not he who spoke.

"We need information." answered Naruto, never once taking his eyes off the flag. "Information will allow us to know what's going on. We can begin planning from there." he explained. Despite him being an enemy, all of them listened to what he had to say with rapt attention. To them, this man exuded the same type of presence that Steve did.

"Why should we listen to you?" questioned Ms. Marvel. "Aren't you all buddy buddy with Hydra?"

Naruto shook his head. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." he answered. "Despite what The Hand does, they are not in alliance with Hydra, and even if they were, I would not hesitate to kill Johann. I know what kind of man he is." he stated. "Plus, I have someone waiting for me, and I can't disappoint her. I have to change the past to what it once was." he muttered.

Not liking the fact that the idea was coming from a personal enemy, Steve couldn't exactly refute him for it either. They needed information before they could decide how to proceed. He sighed.

"He's right." said Steve. "Split up and gather what intel you can." he ordered. "We'll regroup in one hour. Move out."

* * *

 _ **~One Hour Later~**_

Naruto let out a sigh. His suggestion of gathering information had gone through, but it seemed to also have an adverse affect on morale. In the hour they spent searching they found out just what happened to the world.

Johann Schmidt was now the unquestioned overlord of the world.

He had used what the people of the era called the tesseract to accomplish this. Though those from the future knew the tesseract for what it truly was. The cosmic cube. At the onset, none of them knew how he had even acquired it, but that all changed when a local newspaper had been found that was dated a couple of months ago. The whole thing was in Italian, which at least gave them the location of where they had landed.

Those who were fluent, and somewhat fluent, in the tongue of Italy read the title on the front page. It read: "The Day the World went to Hell." The photograph on the cover depicted Johann giving a speech to the masses, and just behind the dictator was Anselm, chained up for all of the masses to see.

"So, what's the plan?"

Steve heard the question, but did not answer immediately, instead choosing to continue to look at the scorched earth in front of him. "...First, we need a mode of transportation. Once we have that, then we can begin discussing our plan of attack."

Naruto couldn't help but nod at his brother's decision to not divulge the plan of attack. Doing so only served to heighten the anxiety everyone was already feeling. They knew Johann had situated himself in the White House, as some sort of statement no doubt, so it was better to let them focus on something else for now.

"Just give Spidey and I a couple of days, and we'll have us going back home in no time."

Steve could only nod and let the two men get to work.

* * *

 _ **~Four Days Later~**_

"So, what's the plan?"

The question had been reiterated for a third time, and this time Steve would answer. The duo of Iron Man and Spider-Man had found the wreckage of a plane and somehow managed to scrap together a vessel that fit all of them. They were currently twenty minutes out of the nations capital. Steve took a deep breath, and began to explain the plan. Everyone wore a grimace by the end of it.

"This here is a suicide mission people, plain and simple." said the blonde shinobi, grabbing everyone's attention. "I realize that many of you have some sort of moral superiority and have strict rules when it comes to killing, but I'm here to tell you to forgo them." He looked into their eyes. "You will have to kill the men and women who come at you. Because if you don't, then this past will not only be your future, but your children's, and your grandchildren's, and your grandchildren's children. Do you want that for them?"

His words hit home for many of them, especially those who had significant others and children back waiting for them.

"There's this saying I was told upon my entrance into The Hand..." he started. "A person's life is not measured by how they lived, rather, it's measured by what they accomplished before they died." he said as he continued to look them in the eyes. "So I ask you this. Are you going to lay down and die without so much as a fight, or are you going to fight and die for your future?!"

Everyone was hanging off his every word, and by the time he was finished the fire had been lit.

Steve nodded, his own fire lit as well thanks to the rousing speech. "He's right. It's now or never my friends. We touchdown in ten minutes."

* * *

The plan was stated. Infiltrate the White House through a series of secret tunnels underneath the very property, assassinate the Red Skull, and then take back the cosmic cube, thus restoring everything back to normal. That was the plan. Unfortunately, not all plans ever go the way you want them to. They were in a firefight the moment they tried to locate the tunnels.

It had only been a few minutes into the battle when the first casualties had been suffered. The Howling Commandos were the first to go, with only Bucky and Fury surviving, but they to eventually lost their lives.

Next to die was Spider-Man. Nobody held anything against the man for refusing to take a life, but his decision had ultimately cost him his. For as fast and agile as the man was proving to be, even he could not dodge or predict every bullet being shot at him. The other spider themed hero, Spider-Woman, died soon after while making an attempt to rescue Anselm, who was tied outside on the lawn. She had been tagged whilst in flight and crash landed near the Hydra agents using flamethrowers. They had begun to burn her to death, but not before being put out of her misery by Naruto. Even if they had fought one another earlier, nobody deserved to die like that. Her death only served to fuel him even more.

Cage and Wolverine were the only two front-line men still alive, and they were providing the necessary cover that he and Steve needed. It had been decided that the two of them would be the ones to confront Johann, as they had the most experience in dealing with the psychopath.

Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and Wasp were doing the most damage of all those present, from the air. The first two were impervious to gunfire while the third simply shrunk herself down to avoid the danger.

Their advantage vanished the second Johann himself made an appearance. The Wasp was the first to go down from a blast of pure cosmic energy, completely disintegrating her. Iron Man appeared to be holding his own as his suit took a few blasts, but eventually that to gave out and he was lost. Ms. Marvel on the other hand lasted the longest, absorbing the energy being shot at her, but even she could not absorb all of it. She exploded from the excess energy in her body.

"Bastard!" growled Naruto, killing another Hydra agent who got in his way as he watched Ms. Marvel die in the distance. He looked at Steve. "We take this psychopath down hard. You hit'em high, and I'll hit'em low."

Steve grunted an affirmative as he killed a man charging him while the ninja next to him killed another with his strange knives. Johann soon entered their line of sight, and they rushed him.

"Captain!" exclaimed Johann, pleased. "It's been far to long since we've last met. I was afraid you'd just up and vanished."

"Don't count on that ever happening." said Steve, pummeling another agent who tried to impede his progress. "As long as there are men like you in the world, I'll always keep up the good fight."

Steve threw his iconic shield at the man just as Naruto blurred out of sight, reappearing behind the Red Skull. He unsheathed the one good kōdachi he had left, and went to stab him in the back. He did not anticipate the man becoming intangible, and was forced to catch the shield as it went through him. He could only hope to catch the man off-guard when he became tangible once more so he stepped back and threw the shield with all his might. It was then that he suddenly felt a hot pain enter his back.

"Argh!" he screamed, falling to the ground, and reaching for his back. Had he been shot? If so, then by whom?

Managing to look behind him, he spotted the perpetrator. It was Johann. The man had reappeared from behind.

"I don't know how you are alive after I wiped out your organization, but allow me to rectify that." he said. The barrel of the gun that had just shot him was pointed directly between his eyes.

"Rargh!"

Wolverine let out a bestial roar as he had burst through a horde of Hydra agents, bloody as hell. Luke was right behind him, ready to help his friend remove the psychopath's head.

"Insufferable cretins!"

Johann blasted the two men at point blank range with the cube, killing them instantly, but it had been enough. They had just granted the two brothers a few precious seconds that would decide the fate of the future. Pushing past his pain, Naruto got up and rushed his enemy. Steve did the same from the opposite side.

Steve had gotten to Johann first, and was attempting to wrestle the cube from his grasp. While still in his hand, the cube began to glow, ready to blast Steve. Not about to let that happen, Naruto flung his blade towards their enemy. It unfortunately missed as Johann had escaped his brother's grip and was able to dodge the blade at the last second. The psychopath then looked over in his direction, and they locked eyes.

Not having a clue how long the illusion he had placed on the man would last, since he didn't know if the cube would protect Johann from it or not, he made a grab for it. He just hoped it would last long enough. It didn't of course, as their enemy had simply baited him into thinking he could grab it before snatching it away from his eyes.

"It was a worthy effort." praised the leader of the world. "However, in the end, I always win." he said to them, raising the cube.

Time seemed to slow down as the cube was raised before him, ready to erase his entire being from existence. It didn't happen thankfully, as his older brother arrived seconds before it was fired, saving him, and knocking the cube out of Johann's grip.

"Grab it!" shouted Steve.

All three men man an attempt for it. Naruto kicked Johann away, who elbowed Steve, and then shot him in the stomach, multiple times, as he tried reaching for it. The younger brother fell to the ground, holding his stomach as it continued to bleed. He then heard another shot being fired, and turned around to see Steve getting it in the chest, multiple times. However, instead of falling down, Steve dug deep and launched himself forward, tackling Johann to the ground. Steve was giving him a chance to grab the cube.

Looking around to see where the cube landed, he finally spotted it. It was a few feet away from Anselm's feet. He needed to get up, but try as he might, he couldn't pick himself up. He was losing to much blood.

' _No!'_

Digging just as deep as Steve had, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a kunai. Looking to where Anselm was at once more, he aimed, and let it fly. It made contact with the lock holding the man in place. Paul fell face first onto the pavement, his breathing heavy.

"Anselm!" Naruto shouted. "Put everything back to the way it was!"

Johann heard the plea, pushed the Captain away, and tried to make for the cube only to fall face first onto the floor. Steve had wrapped his arms around his legs and refused to let him go. As Johann tried to pry him off, the voice of Naruto had penetrated the ears of Anselm, and he reached out to the warm feeling in front of him. He had but three fingers on the edge of the cube, but it was enough. Everything was soon enveloped in a flash of white light.

* * *

Naruto suddenly awoke with a start, gasping for air. After calming his breathing down, he sat up and blinked a few times. Looking around, he noticed that he was alone.

"What just happened?" he muttered. "Why am I on the ground? And where are the others?"

The group he had been following for the past hour was nowhere to be seen. It was as if they had just vanished into thin air. He tried to see if he could recall something, anything, from the past ten minutes but kept drawing a blank. He eventually let out a sigh.

He was to busy worrying about what happened to the others when he needed to be worried about finishing his mission. Last he recalled, he was a few miles away from the coordinates given to him by the Master. He gave the area a once over before leaving, to see if he could find something, but no such luck. Seeing as there was nothing, he continued his mission from earlier.

* * *

 _ **~Three Days Later~**_

Go and see the Master.

Those were the exact words used by Tsunade after he had reported in, and after she and Namora had finished tearing him a new one, calling him all sorts of colorful names. Apparently, what he believed to be an amnesia trip of a few hours actually turned out to be a trip of four months! It was currently late December.

How he had been gone for so long was a mystery to him, and one he hoped to remember so he could placate Namora, and the Senju matriarch. Nearly everyone in the organization thought him dead, and despite not believing he was at fault her, amnesia and all, he still felt like a scumbag for worrying the only two people he actually gave a damn about.

" _We meet again, Naruto."_

Despite having already interacted with the Master, he still got shivers when he heard her voice.

"Apologies, but the mission was a failure." he said. "I would offer more of an explanation, but I can't recall the last four months of my life."

" _Be still for a moment."_

Naruto soon felt a push against his mind, and he began to subconsciously resist whatever it was that was trying to enter.

" _Try not to fight it."_ said the ethereal woman. _"I only seek information relevant to me."_

Even thought she said that, instinct told him otherwise, and told him to keep resisting, but seeing as he couldn't blow his mission, he decided let her in, albeit reluctantly.

" _...The memory, it is gone."_ she revealed. _"As if never there. However, the anchor I sought was indeed involved, and I would wager it's the cause of your amnesia."_ she explained. _"I am disappointed that you could not obtain what I sought, but that's fine. I was able to trace the energy of the anchor you interacted with to one that lies within our reality. If you wish to redeem yourself, and earn that which I have promised, then you will head to these coordinates at once."_

Naruto's jaw clenched. Sure he wanted what she was promising, since it would make his own mission all that much easier, but to send him out so soon after returning. Was she trying to kill him?

"...I accept."

* * *

 _ **~Two Days Later~**_

"I hate the cold."

The super-soldier had followed the coordinates given to him, and they had led him into the country of Norway, specifically the old viking village of Tønsberg. A place that was so hidden away from the rest of the world that they probably didn't know there was even a war going on. He suddenly came to a stop, and was frowning.

' _Okay, so I was wrong.'_

He was sure that the war hadn't been felt this far, but he was wrong. The village, it was gone. It had been destroyed, and judging by the rate of decay on the bodies, a few days ago.

"It seems Johann, and his scientist Arnim Zola, have been through here."

It was the only explanation as only Zola's weapons of mass destruction could cause so much death in a matter of days.

' _Hm?'_

What had caught his attention was one particular building, and the reason for that was because it was still standing.

' _A church?'_

Stepping inside, the first thing that caught his eye was the body of an old man lying near a very large stone coffin, and next to him a message written in blood.

"Stop devil in red, stole something dangerous, plunge world into hateful everlasting darkness..."

The message was a jumbled mess, but the warning behind it was loud and clear. Johann had stolen something of great power, and this something was possibly the anchor the Master wanted as well. Moving on from the old man, he began to scour the rest of the church, hoping to find a clue that would tell him what exactly had been taken. He eventually came upon a large wooden carving of a tree, one he was familiar with.

"Yggdrasil. The world tree."

Those lessons with Tsunade on the various pantheons and myths were starting to pay dividends. The tree in front of him was what connected the nine realms. Looking at the carving closer, he spotted a hidden compartment. It was empty. Whatever the leader of Hydra had taken, it was no bigger than a small cube, and was hidden beneath the tree for a reason.

"I wonder if there's a connection between Yggdrasil and the location of the item?" he wondered. He would have to ask Tsunade when he returned. "Well, whatever was here is here no longer, and I can add another failed mission to my growing repertoire."

Exiting the church, and once more venturing back into the harsh weather of Norway, he began his long trek back to Japan.

* * *

 _ **~A Day Later~**_

"...That's what happened." finished Naruto, recounting his entire mission to the Master.

After returning, he reported into Tsunade, and asked her if she knew of any connection between the tree Yggdrasil, and a powerful item. She didn't know of any. Once he was done there, he went to see the Master.

" _I see..."_ she said. _"I have a different mission for you."_

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction. Was the ethereal woman just about to brush off all that he had done for her? Or was this new mission of hers connected to it?

" _I want you to kill Adolf Hitler."_

He definitely wasn't expecting it to be that. Talk about random. "While I have no qualms about doing so, but if I may, why now?"

" _The man grows more desperate with each passing day."_ she said. _"One of his allies has already been removed from the war, and he fears he may be next. His fear will not only be his downfall, but Japan's downfall as well, which will directly affect The Hand."_ she explained. _"I cannot have that. If you, or any of the kage are killed, then the chances for my return dwindle."_

"I see. I will accept the mission." he said, since he kinda had to. "What of the anchor?"

" _It can wait until this mission is complete."_

"When do I leave?"

" _Within the month."_

' _So January, since it's near the end of December already.'_

He looked at the shadow, nodded, and left the area.

* * *

Namora was sporting a frown, as was he.

"The Master gave you another mission? Even though you just returned?"

He nodded. "This one takes priority over the other." he explained. "What about you, I heard you were also given a mission, and a long-term one at that."

She nodded. "I was. I'm to return to Atlantis."

"And do what?"

"Classified."

"I see..."

The two sat next to each other in silence, just enjoying each others company.

"...Naruto."

"Hm?"

"What am I to you?"

Turning to look at his fellow blonde, he opened his mouth, and abruptly closed it. What exactly were they? Sure they had started a fledgling relationship with one another, but it hasn't really been going anywhere, and that was on the account of their current predicament.

Tired of waiting for him to answer, Namora put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him down.

"Don't say anything, just listen to what I have to say." she said as she looked him in the eyes. "I don't know what we are, and I don't care that I don't. This next mission of mine, I don't know what'll happen on it, and I don't want to leave here with any regrets just in case something does..."

Namora slowly began to remove her shirt before she felt a soft pair of hands on her wrists.

"...Are you sure you want to do this?"

She nodded. "I know our 'relationship' never really went anywhere, or if it was even real to begin with, but I want this moment to be something special between us."

Naruto's jaw clenched when he heard her say that. Though no part of him could deny the truth behind her statement. He didn't know what their relationship was. Perhaps it was just him projecting what he really wanted with Tsunade all along, and Namora just went along for the ride. He suddenly pulled her closer, and embraced her in a kiss.

"...I'm sorry for everything I put you through." he said, staring into her blue eyes.

Before she could respond, their lips were meeting once more, and this time they did not separate. Their clothes soon began to hit the floor at an exponential rate as the covers were soon pulled over their naked bodies.

* * *

 _ **~One Week Later~**_

Naruto couldn't believe what he was reading.

In the days leading up to when he was ready to leave for Germany, he had decided to research some places Hitler has been known to frequent, hoping to narrow down his location. It was during this time when he came across a very disturbing piece of information.

On January 11th, 1945, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes of the United States Military was presumed dead. The stolen information had the mission report given by Steve. His brother, Bucky, and his team of Howling Commandos had infiltrated a Hydra train with the intent of capturing Arnim Zola. An ensuing fight occurred, and an explosion blew a large hole in the side of the train car they were on. Bucky then took a blast to the chest, which inadvertently sent him careening down a hundred foot ravine.

Not believing this to be true, he had kept searching for any piece of info like a man possessed, hoping beyond hope that anything else said otherwise. None did. It all kept saying the same thing. Bucky was officially dead, and he was officially in shock.

"What's wrong with you, Naruto?" asked Tsunade, walking up to him. She peeked over his shoulder and grimaced. "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Naruto. I know you considered him like a brother."

As she tried consoling him, she suddenly seemed to straighten up as a new gleam entered her eyes and a smile onto her face. She looked down at the shocked blonde, and hugged him tightly, pressing her breasts onto his back. She was hoping to rouse him. No luck. Seeing as something more drastic was going to be needed, she began to help him up.

"Let's help you forget all of that pain. Even if it's only for a few hours."

Tsunade slowly began to lead him back to her compound, specifically his bedroom within her home.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Five**_

* * *

 ** _REVIEW_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Here is the sixth chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

 _Naruto couldn't believe what he was reading._

 _In the days leading up to when he was ready to leave for Germany, he had decided to research some places Hitler has been known to frequent, hoping to narrow down his location. It was during this time when he came across a very disturbing piece of information._

 _On January 11th, 1945, Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes of the United States Military was presumed dead. The stolen information had the mission report given by Steve. His brother, Bucky, and his team of Howling Commandos had infiltrated a Hydra train with the intent of capturing Arnim Zola. An ensuing fight occurred, and an explosion blew a large hole in the side of the train car they were on. Bucky then took a blast to the chest, which inadvertently sent him careening down a hundred foot ravine._

 _Not believing this to be true, he had kept searching for any piece of info like a man possessed, hoping beyond hope that anything else said otherwise. None did. It all kept saying the same thing. Bucky was officially dead, and he was officially in shock._

" _What's wrong with you, Naruto?" asked Tsunade, walking up to him. She peeked over his shoulder and grimaced. "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Naruto. I know you considered him like a brother."_

 _As she tried consoling him, she suddenly seemed to straighten up as a new gleam entered her eyes and a smile onto her face. She looked down at the shocked blonde, and hugged him tightly, pressing her breasts onto his back. She was hoping to rouse him. No luck. Seeing as something more drastic was going to be needed, she began to help him up._

" _Let's help you forget all of that pain. Even if it's only for a few hours."_

 _Tsunade slowly began to lead him back to her compound, specifically his bedroom within her home._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **February 10th, 1945**_

Naruto hated the cold.

He hated it when he was sent to the village of Tønsberg in Norway months ago, and he still very much hated it now. One month had passed in the blink of an eye since he first left Japan for Germany, as it was now February, all so he could complete his mission. To assassinate Adolf Hitler.

While the tyrant hadn't physically killed Bucky, he still held him responsible. Ultimately, he was the one in charge, and while his dogs would get theirs for being the actual perpetrators, he wanted the owner right now.

At his current pace, and direction, he would hit the city of Bremen in a few weeks, the latest in about a month, and that suited him just fine. He had no timetable for his return, so that meant he could be as thorough as humanly possible, but he also needed to avoid the public eye. Spies and all that. That was why he was currently traveling through the wilderness.

While the mission was on his mind ninety-nine percent of the time, the other one percent was focused on the woman known as Senju Tsunade. How they ended up in bed was still hazy memory, the sex not so much. He still remembers that. Her riding atop of him as he grabbed her bouncing breasts, letting out a moan. It wasn't the proper way to help someone cope with loss, but it certainly helped him relieve the stress of the situation. The grieving came afterward, when his head was much clearer.

He thanked her for what she did, despite taking advantage of him, and for what she continued to do the rest of the week before he left. It was certainly tiring on the body, having sexual intercourse day after day, various times throughout the day, but as long as the spirit was strong, then it was no problem.

' _Hm, what was that?'_

Momentarily pausing his ruminations, he stopped as he came upon a very strange scene. Out in the middle of nowhere stood numerous beautiful women on horseback, though last time he checked, horses weren't supposed to have wings attached to their backs. Remaining as silent as possible, he watched as one of them stepped forward and began to address the others.

' _She must be the leader.'_

Or perhaps not. The one addressing the entire group was bidding her comrades a farewell but didn't get to finish as they left mid-speech. Leaving the blonde woman partly stunned.

"...You can come out now." She called out after a few seconds. "I know you're there."

A frown marred Naruto's face, wondering just how this woman knew he was here. He slowly emerged from behind a thicket of trees, his hands behind his back, hovering near his pouches. He really hoped he didn't have to fight. The amount of armor and weapons on this woman was staggering, let alone the fact that he also didn't know what else she could do. He needed to tread carefully here.

She seemed to sense his anxiousness. "Calm yourself." she said. "I will not attack unless you force my hand." she assured. "I must commend you stranger. You did exceptionally well in hiding your presence for as long as you did, but none, except a rare few, can hide their life-force from a Valkyrie. Especially when dealing with one as large as yours."

' _Valkyrie?'_

While he didn't doubt her claim, since he had no reason to and because he's seen stranger, he did have to wonder though, just what was she doing on earth? There was indeed a war, so there was a surplus of souls for her to choose from, but not in their current location. It was barren. Before he could ask, the ground beneath them began to rumble, and a large creature erupted from the earth, snarling at them with it's razor sharp teeth.

"A Snow Wyvern! Here?!" she questioned in surprise. "What's it doing so far from Jötunheimr!?"

He was taken aback when the beautiful blonde next to him suddenly leapt into the air twenty feet, and struck true with her spear, lodging it deep within the monster's skull. He's seen a lot things since first joining The Hand, but someone jumping that high, and with relative ease no less, that was a first for him.

Snapping out of his awe of her physical gifts, he followed suit, and climbed up a nearby tree, propelling himself upward, and towards the lodged weapon. He came down atop the spear, digging it deeper. He then pulled out his two new kōdachi, since he couldn't recall when he lost the other two, and buried them deep into the creature's back.

As expected, it howled in pain, and rose to it's maximum height, trying it's hardest to shake him off. It was unfortunate for the Wyvern, but his chakra allowed him to hold on tight, and the moment it stopped bucking around, he slid down it's back, carving out even more of it's flesh. It roared once more as it fell to the ground, and the second it did, it began to roll, hoping to crush him under it's massive weight. He escaped before that could happen. Valkyrie once more leapt atop the creature's head, as it once more rose in height, and yanked out her spear. She then used the creature's ascending height to catapult herself higher into the sky.

Activating his sharingan, he estimated the woman had about five to seven seconds of air time before she came back down to earth. The Wyvern must have figured this as well, and began to open it's giant maw wider and wider, ready to swallow her whole. He wasn't about to let that happen. Adding chakra to his feet once more, he raced up the belly of the beast, dragging his blades again. It's attention had shifted in an instant, and once he was close enough to it's gaping mouth, he thrust his blades right on into them. It may not have closed it's mouth, like it does in the Looney Tunes cartoons, albeit in a more adult manner, but his initial goal wasn't to close it, it was to distract it.

Valkyrie was here, and her spear was coming down.

"Ha!"

The weapon was brought down upon the first opening it had created, and with a tremendous amount of force, it easily pushed past the flesh, broke past the skull, and pierced the brain, killing the Wyvern. He waited until the creature fell back to the ground before taking back his weapons. Valkyrie was still atop it's head, a fire in her eyes, and a triumphant smirk on her lips.

"...We fought well together."

' _That's an understatement if I ever heard one. We were practically in sync out there.'_

He nodded.

"What is thy name stranger?"

"...Naruto Uzumaki." he finally answered, having taken a few seconds to debate on whether or not to tell her his name. "You are?"

"Brünhilde, leader of the Valkyrior."

The two nodded to one another as snow lightly began to fall around them. Brünhilde looked up into the sky, and hummed.

"We best get a move on. This snow, while light, will soon become a blizzard." she said. "It will be near impossible to navigate through once it does."

A small frown formed on his lips. "What makes you think I'm trying to leave the forest?"

The blonde Valkyrie merely smiled at him, amused. "A mortal of Midgard would not be wandering the forests alone whilst in the midst of a war. Hence, you are searching for something."

' _...Am I that transparent?'_

"So, do I speak true?"

He refused to meet her eyes as he could just feel them twinkling in amusement. "Fine, you got me."

Brünhilde let out a hearty chuckle, and began to pat him on the shoulder, hard. "There is no need to be embarrassed. I've been doing my job for a very, very, long time now."

"You know part of the reason why I'm out here, but why are you out here?" he inquired.

Her laughter died down and she turned serious. "I am searching for the reason why my Shield-Sisters and I were summoned to Midgard."

"So you're really an Asgardian?" he asked as they started walking. While he spoke the truth earlier of not doubting who she said she was, he was a little underwhelmed to be honest. The Master of The Hand came to mind of what he expected a being of power to be like. Was he being fooled? If so, then by whom. The blonde Valkyrie next to him, or the Master.

She nodded. "Aye, that I am."

He decided to test the waters. "Forgive my blunt rudeness, but you don't look very...godly to me." he said.

The chooser of the slain came to a halt, giving him a pointed stare. "You are very lucky that I am not one of my comrades. They would have killed you for such disrespect." she said. "Besides, we of Asgard never claimed Godhood. The mortals of Midgard bestowed those titles upon us." she explained.

The gears were beginning to turn in Naruto's head.

"Okay, so you don't claim to be gods, does that mean you're human?"

Brünhilde snorted. "Did anything I do in the last five minutes resemble a human to you?"

"Point taken."

"I know not our entire history, but I know this. We of Asgard are not human, we are however an extra-dimensional race-"

"Then you aren't gods."

She paused after his interruption, and then stared at him long and hard.

"May I ask you something." He nodded. "What do you consider to be a god?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. What did he consider a god to be?

"Is it their strength? Their ability to destroy perhaps? Do they have to be immortal? Is it the amount of worshipers who follow them? Or is it their power to move the masses?"

"I'd say it's their power to move the masses, which are basically their worshipers."

"If that is the case, then why do you not believe we of Asgard to be gods?" she asked. "It is true that individually, many of us may not be worshiped, but as a race it's the complete opposite. There are many in Asgard who hold great sway over those in Midgard."

"...I apologize if I've offended you with my questions. That was not my intent." he said, apologizing.

Brünhilde sighed. "You did not offend me. It takes more than questions to do that." she told him. "My question still stands however."

"...I guess it's just the way I was brought up. My parents were Christians, and as such I was raised the same way, to believe in The God." he said. "Though after everything I've been through and seen, I just don't know anymore." he admitted to her.

She nodded, as she now understood where he was coming from. "A crisis of faith, a very troubling time for many, but one I wholeheartedly believe you will overcome."

"...Thanks for the support." He sent her a small smile.

One she reciprocated. "Think nothing of it." She waved it off. "Still, you are the first person whom I've met who's questioned our origins so deeply. Others would have merely accepted it after seeing some of the feats I preformed when fighting the Wyvern."

"I've been taught never to accept anything at face value." he said. "Don't let your ears hear what your eyes don't see, and don't let your mouth say what your heart doesn't feel." he quoted.

"That's a mighty fine saying." she commented.

He nodded. "I've come to like it." It was something Namora ingrained in him. "Can I ask you another question? If you don't mind."

"Of course. What is it you wish to know."

"What do the Asgardians think of the Christian God."

"Ah yes. God. The One-Above-All." she said. "I only know what the All-Father told us. He told us that this being immensely powerful, and to flee on sight if we ever encounter them, which I have yet to do."

"He works in mysterious ways, Brünhilde." said Naruto. "So maybe you've already encountered him."

She shrugged. "Perhaps. Though we were warned against doing so, I would still very much like to try my hand at fighting this being of power. It would be a glorious test to determine my strength!"

Now it was Naruto's turn to snort. "No offense, but I'm pretty sure he'd destroy you." He may be torn on whether or not he was going to continue following his religion, but he knew God was more powerful than the Valkyrie next to him.

Brünhilde shook her head. "Would not."

Naruto nodded. "Would to."

"Not."

"To."

"Not!" she said hotly.

"To!" he argued, getting as riled up as she was.

The two blondes suddenly stopped their shouting match, looked at the other, and started to laugh.

"By Odin's beard. I haven't laughed like that in ages." she said, wiping a tear away.

"Same here. Last time I got into a shouting match was with my brother, and it was over who would get the last piece of bacon." he explained, reminiscing about simpler times.

Brünhilde shared a smile with him, then looked up into the gray sky. "We've spent far to much time out here." she said. "The blizzard will be upon us soon. It's best if we find shelter for the moment and wait it out."

"How long do we have?"

"Perhaps an hour at the most."

He nodded. "There's a bunker a hundred and fifty feet that way." he said, looking northwest.

The female Asgardian raised a brow. Last she checked, mortals weren't supposed to have vision like him, heightened to such a degree. It was then that she noticed his eyes, and a smile grew. They had gone from blue, much like her own, to a dark crimson.

' _Well, well. It seems there is more to this man than meets the eye.'_

She followed his line of sight, and there was indeed a bunker. She nodded.

"Then let us be off, and out of this weather."

* * *

"...We should have stayed outside. Blizzard be damned." muttered the blonde male. "At least it smelled nice outside."

The moment the two warriors had walked into the bunker, their noses were assaulted by the foul stench of rotting meat. There were a total of fifteen carcasses, that they could see, and they all belonged to men and women of Hydra.

"Perhaps, but what's done is done, and we should make the best of it." replied Brünhilde, inspecting a few of the bodies in the area.

"If you say so." he muttered.

Naruto began to explore the area as well, doing his best to avoid many of the strewn out bodies. It was easy to see what was going on in this bunker from the lone table in the center of the room.

' _Experimentation.'_

He couldn't tell what kind was being run here, but regardless of what it was, it was bad news.

"Whatever you've come for, whatever atrocities you were planning on committing, you're to late!"

The two blondes snapped their heads over in the direction of the voice, and Brünhilde immediately put up her guard, blocking the blade coming down on her head. Using her free hand, she took out a small ax, and took a swing at her assailant. She missed, and was then promptly kicked away.

Rushing in from his position, the super-soldier unsheathed both kōdachi, and attacked. Whoever this man was, he was good, like really good. His sharingan was studying this man's unnatural grace when their blades crossed, and sparks flew. They met face to face, and Naruto was momentarily stunned when looking back at his crimson eyes were another pair of crimson eyes, albeit different than his own. He was then kicked next to Valkyrie.

"I don't know who you think we are, but do we look like we're apart of whatever was going on down here!" she snarled.

"Hm-mm, let's see. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and superhuman physique?" Listed the unknown man. "Of course you do, but I wonder, how do I look to you?" he asked, suddenly presenting himself.

Naruto's eyes may not be able to see the life-force of a person, but even his eyes were showing him that something was different about the man in front of him.

"Your life-force, it is strange." said Valkyrie. "...You're not really alive, are you."

"Ha! No, not for many, many, years now." He laughed. "I am Raizo Kodo." Introduced the man.

The shinobi stiffened for the barest of seconds before relaxing his muscles. He's heard the name Raizo Kodo before. The man in front of him was a missing-nin from The Hand, and if he were to ever meet a missing-nin from the organization, then he was to eliminate them.

Raizo began to speak again.

"I, like these wretches, transcend death." said Raizo, guiding their eyes to those below him. "These scientists, these agents of Hydra had hoped to turn vampires into their playthings." he spat on them. "I could not allow that."

The leader of the Valkyrior was frowning. "I had questions for these scientists." she stated. These men and women could be the reason why and those she leads were summoned.

The vampire gave her a look that said he didn't care what she wanted. "They were toying with those of my kind. That made them my concern, not yours. You will have to seek your answers elsewhere." he said. "Besides, no matter your purpose here, the both of you have roughly thirty seconds before this bunker becomes a smoldering heap of rubbish."

Naruto began to take a step forward before he was addressed.

"A piece of advice, brother." said Raizo, reminiscing about his time in The Hand. "Do not trust what the Master says. She is not what she says she is. In reality, she is nothing but a rabid beast that needs to be put down."

Before he could ask the vampire what he meant by those cryptic statements, he vanished, disintegrating into mist.

"Wait! What is Hydra?!" yelled Brünhilde, having heard him mention it.

"I'll inform you on the way!" exclaimed Naruto, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the bunker before it exploded.

* * *

The two blondes were easily able to avoid getting caught up in the blast range of the explosion, though they were not able to avoid the blizzard. They were currently hold up in the mouth of a cave, and as he had said he would, Naruto began to explain what Hydra was to Brünhilde, and why it was important that Germany lose this war. It was not only bad for the world as a whole, but for extra-dimensional races as well, because once they conquered everything under the sun, their next targets will be aimed higher. Hearing all of that made her mission of finding those responsible all the more imperative.

"The blizzard is getting worse." commented the Valkyrie, watching the snow storm.

"Yeah, it is." he replied, sitting further back in the cave, near the fire.

"...We should strip naked."

He was caught off-guard by the sudden proclamation. "...Why?"

"To gather heat of course." she replied. "I would rather you not die out here. I've grown quite fond of you during our short time together. You are one of the more interesting people I've met."

"Oh, uh, thanks, but you do know that something like this won't kill me, right?"

Brünhilde nodded. "I do, but I grow tired of flirtation and wish to bed you." she said bluntly.

He looked at her like she was crazy. "When exactly were we flirting?"

"When we first met, I saw the way you looked at me." she revealed. "Then again when we ran afoul of Raizo, and you jumped in to protect me after he kicked me away."

Before he could offer a rebuttal, the leader of the Valkyrior suddenly began to remove every piece of armor and clothing on her body, slowly, and he couldn't help but look. She had a bit more muscle than he was accustomed to seeing on a female, but it in no way detracted from her beauty. In fact, it went well with her physique, as did the few scars he noticed.

Naruto was getting hot under the collar as he swallowed hard, his eyes never once leaving the sight of the woman before him. During his time traveling in this war, he has seen numerous types of women, all of them unique and beautiful, but the woman in front of him blew them all out of the water. If he had to compare her, he would compare her to the likes of Namora and Tsunade. The three of them were all on a different plateau. However, what he liked most about Brünhilde was not her skill as a warrior or even her beauty as a woman, no, what he liked most was her blunt and straightforward personality. To him who has been operating in the shadows, and lived in a world full of deception and lies, it was a very refreshing take.

Brünhilde sauntered on over to him, stark naked, took a seat on his lap, facing him, and began to grind him. His own breathing was starting to become labored as his pants grew tighter by the second. She leaned into him, her breath tickling against his skin.

"If I hadn't met you earlier and stolen a peek at your chiseled body, I would have easily mistaken you for an Asgardian, admittedly on the small side." She laughed softly, her breath tickling his ear. "Your member is of Asgardian quality though." she said, her hand on his thigh, having felt it.

She eventually began to explore his upper-body with her soft lips before ending her exploration when she began to nibble on his earlobe. He was able to stop his moan from escaping, but he couldn't stop the forming bulge in his pants. It was to late for that. Her hands began to move towards his waist so she could remove his trousers.

"While the fire will keep me warm on the outside, I'm sure this will keep me warm on the inside."

The second she softly took hold of his member, he could no longer hold back, and he pulled her closer to him. Repaying her by exploring her upper-body with his mouth while she continued to stroke. They locked eyes with one another, and they suddenly shared a deep kiss. The fire eventually started to dim as they began to heat up.

* * *

 _ **~The Following Morning~**_

Naruto slowly began to wake up as a small gust of cool forest air washed over him from the mouth of the cave. He blearily began to rub his eyes after a tiring, but fun, night. Not even questioning when the blanket he had over his naked body came into effect, he tried getting up but realized he couldn't. For two reasons. One, he finally noticed just how much his pelvic area was hurting, and two, Brünhilde had an arm draped over his chest. His sudden movements had been enough to stir her awake, and before long she was up.

"Good morning." she said, giving him a light peck on the cheek.

"Morning."

The blanket covering their naked bodies was off completely when she got up off the ground, and began to stretch her body. She let out a satisfied yawn, and then turned around with a smile on her face when she looked at him.

"Thank you for last night. It was an experience I shalt not forget."

"Same." he said, nodding.

The Valkyrie stood at the mouth of the cave, looking up at the sky, and then nodding to herself. "The weather has cleared, and now I'm afraid it is time for me to take my leave." she said as she began to get dressed.

While Naruto was enjoying the company, and the idea of a traveling partner, she was right. It was time they each went their separate ways. They each had their own mission to complete. Finally getting up himself, he searched for his gear, found it, and began to get dressed as well.

"We started our journey as strangers, then lovers, and now we part as comrades." she said. "If you ever need my assistance, for anything, then do not hesitate to seek me out."

"How would I do that though?" he asked. "I don't know where you call home?"

"It's inaccessible to those of Midgard." she answered. "Just say my name, and I'll know."

"Really?"

"Yes. Trust me, I'll know."

He nodded. "Okay then. Till we meet again, Brünhilde."

The two shared one last embrace, and kiss, before she separated from him. He watched as she exited the cave, got on her horse, which suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and flew away.

"Well that was certainly one way to make an exit."

Gathering the rest of his things, he too eventually left the cave, ready to continue his mission.

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **March 5th, 1945**_

' _Finally out of the forests.'_

After spending an entire month in the forest, he was finally out. He came to a stop as he took in a view of the city of Bremen. Sealing away his gear, and putting on normal clothes, he walked into the city. He half-expected to be on the receiving end of awe-stricken looks, due to his appearance, but he received none of it. The first group of people he came across were huddled around a local newsstand.

' _I wonder what's going on?'_

Curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to find out what all the hullabaloo was about. He tapped the shoulder of the nearest person to him.

"Excuse me, but what is with all of the commotion?" he asked in their common tongue.

An older man turned around and had to look up to meet his eyes. "Today is a terrible yet glorious day my friend."

Naruto raised a brow. "Oh?"

The man nodded. "Yes. The leader of Hydra, Johann Schmidt, fell in battle yesterday against the man known as Captain America." said the man, spitting when he mentioned Cap. "However, it's not all bad my friend. The American hero also fell in the very same battle."

The reveal hit Naruto like a ton of bricks as he suddenly felt his legs go weak, causing him to stumble backwards. He had to use the building behind him to steady himself. He began to hyperventilate.

"Take it easy friend." The man tried to steady him. "I know you are devastated by the news regarding Johann, but you can at least take some solace in the fact that he got rid of the one man who stood in his way."

Every word the man had said was barely registered by the blonde. Every sound was blocked as his own vision began to get blurry, tears threatening to fall. He finally addressed the man.

"...Y-Yes." He stuttered. "Good on Johann. If you'll excuse me, but I think I need to be alone for a few minutes."

The man nodded in complete understanding.

Continuing to steady himself against the side of a building, he eventually turned into an alley, and as soon as he was out of sight, and earshot, he emptied the contents of his stomach. Was everything he just heard real? Was his older brother now gone as well? Wiping his mouth clean, he began to walk toward the other end of the alley, away from the crowded newsstand. He needed to find out if this was all true or not.

* * *

 ** _~A Few Hours_** _ **Later~**_

It was all true.

His brother, and one of his best friends, Steven Rogers, was dead. Or at least as close as a humanly possible. After he had spilled his guts hours ago, he began to search like a madman, for any and all credible information he could get his hands on. The one piece of info that kept popping up in every search was that his brother stopped Johann whilst the two fought in an aircraft that had currently been flying over the Antarctic. It had somehow malfunctioned during it's flight, and it had went down into the icy waters.

A part of him died today, just as another had died when news of Bucky had hit him. Tears were shed for his two fallen brothers. Those tears eventually dried up however, and the sadness that he was feeling was soon replaced by a white hot inferno of rage. All of his family was gone because of this war.

Though it was also partly his fault as well. He should have killed Johann back in Madripoor, and since he hadn't, he was know reaping what he sowed. Seeing as he couldn't take out his frustrations on a dead man, he would have to settle for the next best thing, his target. He began his search of Bremen with a renewed vigor.

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **April 30th, 1945 – Berlin, Germany**_

Naruto took a deep breath, and exhaled. He was currently overlooking a large bunker, and judging by the large dirt mounds, it went deep underground. After concluding his search in the city of Bremen, he heard a rumor going around that Adolf was in the capital of Germany, Berlin. His tracking skills were put to the test as he tracked the man down to his current location.

Why the man felt he was safe underground was beyond him. To him, this just meant the man was now a stationary target instead of a mobile one. Perhaps the man believed all the men stationed outside, and in, would be enough to protect him.

They wouldn't. Not from him.

Night has since descended upon the city, and he has used the hours leading up to this moment to watch the men patrolling the grounds, and the men manning the searchlights. After studying their patterns, he decided it was time to begin, and when the moment was right, he shot out of the darkness. He ran by unnoticed as the men scouring the grounds merely felt a gust of wind pass them by.

Pausing at the entrance, he knocked twice, paused for five seconds, and then knocked another three times. Once he heard the unlocking click, his sharingan came to life, and he slipped inside. He quickly subdued the man on the otherside, placing him in an illusion, and then closed the door behind him very quietly. Once he heard it shut, he locked it, and he was off once more.

His kōdachi would only hinder him in such tight quarters, so he opted to use two kunai instead. Slowly coming to a stop, he approached the first door inside the bunker. Lowering himself to the ground, he used the reflection of his weapon to peek inside.

The target was not in this room. He moved on.

He repeated this process for the entirety of the top floor, and began anew on the second, only stopping when he came across a communications room. He knows he hasn't done much in terms of helping the Allies win this war, but he hoped what he did next made up for all of that.

Taking a look inside, he spotted one man manning the large console, and made his move. Swiftly taking care of the only threat, he sat down at the station, and got to work. He will be the one to kill Hitler, but it will not be he who will be taking the credit. No, that'll fall to the one who finds the corpse. After he was finished sending an encrypted message to the Allies, he placed the man back in the position he first found him in, and exited the room. Before he had left however, he found a layout of the bunker and he now knew he was but a few feet above his target.

* * *

Naruto was looking at the deadbolt on the door in front of him with a passive face, but on the inside he was a raging storm of emotions. After he had finished checking the second floor, he had made his way down, and only the single door in front of him remained. The road to completion was on the otherside of the door, and he appeared to be in pain.

No longer having the patience to remain idle, he walked up to the door, lifted his right foot, and kicked the door down. Stepping inside, he soon knew why the man was in pain. At his feet laid his lover, Eva Braun, a pool of blood forming underneath her, and a smoking gun in his hand.

His rage skyrocketed when he saw this, and he immediately placed him under a nasty illusion. He was having the man continuously tortured, much the same way his victims had been, and then having him repeatedly shooting his lover over and over again. Removing the firearm from his grip, he removed the clip, and frowned.

It was empty. This meant that the only shot was just used on the woman.

Now looking at her, he noticed one of her hands clutching something to her chest. Prying it open, his frown deepened further. It was a cyanide pill. From his point of view, it seemed Adolf grew cold feet at the prospect of shooting himself, and instead wanted the pill. It would certainly explain the look of utter surprise on her face. He looked down at the worm in disgust as he continued to scream.

As he kept watching the worm writhe on the floor, he let out a sigh. Here he was, a man on the cusp of killing the tyrant who has caused so much death, and heartache, yet he felt no satisfaction. All he felt was empty. Doing this would no doubt bring the war one step closer to ending, but it wouldn't bring all those who died back. Not Steve. Not Bucky. No one.

Releasing a pained sigh, he began searching the room Hitler had sealed himself in, and hoped he found what he was looking for. With the amount of crates, no doubt holding various valuables, one of them had to hold what he was looking for.

' _Found it.'_

Inside one of the crates Hitler had been hoping to die alongside of, he found various firearms. It was easy to see what they were. Trophies. Scrounging around inside, he finally located the piece he was searching for. It was an M1911, and he was in luck, there was still some ammunition left. Taking aim, he shot the screaming man twice in the chest, inches apart, and then once in the head, killing him, and any ideas the Nazi's or Hydra had at trying to salvage his brain. Or anything else of his. He was taking everything in this bunker. It doesn't deserve to be destroyed by those who will eventually locate this place.

Planting the sidearm, he left the room and began to make his way back up. Along the way, he planted a few explosive tags, each in specific location that wouldn't outright destroy the bunker, but instead bury it. Once he was out, and past the patrolling guards and searchlights, he ran up the closest building and turned around to face the bunker one last time. Making motions with his hands, he watched as the tags went off.

The mission was now officially completed, and he could now go home.

* * *

– _**Four Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **August 1st, 1945**_

Naruto was extremely stressed out at the moment, but also happy beyond belief, if that made any sense at all. He was in quite the pickle. Three months ago in May, he had received the best news a man could ask for. He was going to have a child. The thought alone was spirit lifting, especially after he had come back from killing Hitler. Though that was where the good times stopped rolling.

He was happy he was having a family, but it was with whom, and how she went about it that had him questioning her motives. Tsunade had manipulated him, and taken advantage of his state when news of Bucky's death first reached him. The hits didn't stop there however.

After Germany had officially surrendered in July, he expected Japan to follow, but he was to optimistic it seems. Japan had refused the terms of surrender. They were given time to reconsider their stance on the terms, but once that time was up, they would be faced with mass destruction.

The blonde read through the lines of his government's threat to Japan, as he knew what they planned on doing. He'd been informed about it before leaving for Japan. It was called the Atomic Bomb, a very dangerous weapon first developed in Manhattan in 1939. His government had given Japan until the 6th of August to make their decision. Which meant his exit strategy had been expedited.

Namora was still out on her long-term mission, and he had a feeling she wouldn't be returning anytime soon, so he didn't have to worry about her safety. It was his, his unborn child's, and the mother of his child's safety that he had to worry about. He was still disappointed in Tsunade's actions, but it doesn't really matter how he feels anymore. His unborn child is all that mattered now.

That being said, the situation with Tsunade and their unborn child had gotten more difficult. With her being seven months pregnant, her Clan decided it would be better for her if she was moved to an area where she would have more peace and quiet. An area that was unknown to him, and where he did not have access to. He was informed that only those who bore the Senju name could know the information he sought.

Knowing when he was being bullshitted, he decided to stop playing nice, and began to use his eyes to get what he wanted. He enthralled a member of Tsunade's Clan, and from her he was able to get the information he was seeking. She had been moved to an isolated medical room, near the outskirts of the island. Normally, knowing this would have put him at ease, but it didn't.

A feeling of dread coursed through his entire body as he was now staring at the door that would open up to the room that housed Tsunade and his child. He couldn't explain why he felt this way, he just did. Something sinister was going on behind the closed door, and he needed to know what. Unfortunately, it was locked heavily, and he dare not force his way in now for fear of alerting those who were patrolling the grounds. He had about a few seconds to vanish before the alarm was raised. While confident that he could take on anyone in this organization, he was still outnumbered here. So with that being said, he would need to get planning.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Six**_

* * *

 _ **I've introduced Brünhilde, and the Asgardians. My original idea was to make them part of the race known as Eternals, but I've decided to scrap that idea. Mostly because it interfered with something later on. If you're curious to know more about them, from the small explanation that I gave, then I suggest you head on over to the Marvel Database. I used the comic version for their origin. So they will be Gods in this newer version of the story.**_

* * *

 _ **REVIEW**_


	7. Chapter 7

**_Brothers Of A Different Kind_**

 ** _Here's the seventh chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy_**

* * *

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel._**

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

– _**Four Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **August 1st, 1945**_

 _Naruto was extremely stressed out at the moment, but also happy beyond belief, if that made any sense at all. He was in quite the pickle. Three months ago in May, he had received the best news a man could ask for. He was going to have a child. The thought alone was spirit lifting, especially after he had come back from killing Hitler. Though that was where the good times stopped rolling._

 _He was happy he was having a family, but it was with whom, and how she went about it that had him questioning her motives. Tsunade had manipulated him, and taken advantage of his state when news of Bucky's death first reached him. The hits didn't stop there however._

 _After Germany had officially surrendered in July, he expected Japan to follow, but he was to optimistic it seems. Japan had refused the terms of surrender. They were given time to reconsider their stance on the terms, but once that time was up, they would be faced with mass destruction._

 _The blonde read through the lines of his government's threat to Japan, as he knew what they planned on doing. He'd been informed about it before leaving for Japan. It was called the Atomic Bomb, a very dangerous weapon first developed in Manhattan in 1939. His government had given Japan until the 6th of August to make their decision. Which meant his exit strategy had been expedited._

 _Namora was still out on her long-term mission, and he had a feeling she wouldn't be returning anytime soon, so he didn't have to worry about her safety. It was his, his unborn child's, and the mother of his child's safety that he had to worry about. He was still disappointed in Tsunade's actions, but it doesn't really matter how he feels anymore. His unborn child is all that mattered now._

 _That being said, the situation with Tsunade and their unborn child had gotten more difficult. With her being seven months pregnant, her Clan decided it would be better for her if she was moved to an area where she would have more peace and quiet. An area that was unknown to him, and where he did not have access to. He was informed that only those who bore the Senju name could know the information he sought._

 _Knowing when he was being bullshitted, he decided to stop playing nice, and began to use his eyes to get what he wanted. He enthralled a member of Tsunade's Clan, and from her he was able to get the information he was seeking. She had been moved to an isolated medical room, near the outskirts of the island. Normally, knowing this would have put him at ease, but it didn't._

 _A feeling of dread coursed through his entire body as he was now staring at the door that would open up to the clean room that housed Tsunade and his child. He couldn't explain why he felt this way, he just did. Something sinister was going on behind the closed door, and he needed to know what. Unfortunately, it was heavily locked, and he dare not force his way in now for fear of alerting those who were patrolling the grounds. He had about a few seconds to vanish before the alarm was raised. While confident that he could take on anyone in this organization, he was still outnumbered here. So with that being said, he would need to get planning._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

 _ **August 9th, 1945**_

He was out of time.

The days between the first and the sixth had come and gone. Japan had ignored the ultimatum given to them, and they had paid the price. The atomic bomb had been dropped on Hiroshima, and now rumor had it that another was on it's way towards Nagasaki.

No plan had been devised, that wouldn't guarantee death, and Naruto had been hoping Japan would reconsider the terms of surrender. That didn't happen of course, and he was now a man who has been pushed to desperation.

He's tried speaking with those guarding the room, that didn't get him anywhere. His next option was trying to bribe them with something they may want. No such luck. His last option was hypnotization. Unfortunately, that wasn't go to work either, not with how regularly the guards switched positions. With that option failing, he was down to his last resort, brute force.

Making his way over to the clean room, he spotted the two men stationed outside and quickly made short work of them. Removing a set of keys from one of them, he opened the locks, slipped in, but didn't make it five feet before stopping, shocked with what he was seeing in front of him. His eyes went past all the medical equipment hooked up into Tsunade, and zeroed in on the seal that was placed on her stomach.

The shock wore off, and was soon replaced by anger, one that was taken out on the medical-nin inside the room. He frowned as he looked over Tsunade, and then at the seal. He couldn't make heads or tails of the thing. It was to complex for him to understand, and the more complex it got, the more dangerous it was.

Naruto shook his head. He doesn't have time to contemplate the complexity of the seal, he needed to get her out. Seeing that she was under heavy sedation, and checking to make sure there were no more seals, he began to remove all of the equipment hooked up into her. The breath he'd been holding since starting was released. He was done. All of the contraptions were removed, and now all the remained was escaping. Or that would have been the plan if more shinobi hadn't just entered the room, barring his path.

He took a deep breath, and exhaled. Looks like he was going to have to fight his way out, and though the odds were against him, damn it if he wasn't going to try. He activated his sharingan, and took his stance, he was ready to fight.

' _...Wait a minute. There's something wrong with the picture in front of me.'_

Normally, his eyes allowed him to see the chakra flowing within a person, as he always recalled seeing Tsunade's whenever they spared. He could not however see a trace of it in any of the shinobi standing in front of him. Except for one, and now that he thought about it, he couldn't ever recall seeing another chakra system in all the time he's been here.

The gears in his head started to turn at a rapid pace, trying to figure out why this was, and he finally remembered. It was the restrictions placed upon him by Tsunade. Now he understood why she only wanted him to use his eyes against her, who could use chakra, and when he was on a mission, as he did those alone, most of the time.

' _How could I have overlooked such a large detail?'_

Naruto harked back to the mission in Madripoor, and the optimal opportunity he let pass him by. He had been so busy worrying about leading, acquiring the alliance with Hydra, and his brother, that he was completely oblivious to those he had been leading. His ignorance back then was coming back to bite him in the ass.

" _What may I ask, are you doing with my future investment?"_

Crimson orbs narrowed as the frown on his face deepened. He recognized that voice. It belonged to the Master. He didn't know how she was possessing the fool in front of him, nor did he care. What he cared about was that remark of hers. Though he had a feeling he knew what she was getting at. He just hoped he was wrong.

" _Surely someone as brilliant as yourself has already figured it out?"_ she asked in an amused voice. He didn't answer. _"Your newborn is to be my future vessel once I return."_ she revealed to him, confirming his suspicion. _"I wouldn't have resorted to this if you had just brought me what I requested-"_

No longer wishing to hear her irritating voice, he silenced it. Unfortunately, it was only a momentary reprieve as the woman simply jumped into another host, continuing as if nothing happened.

" _It was supposed to be you originally."_ she revealed. _"I had taken considerable efforts to insure that you grew the way I wanted. Especially after I removed you from the dimension I'm currently inhabiting and planted you in your current one."_

Her little revelation had done it's job. It made Naruto pause in his escape plans. He gave her a very intense stare, one she pointedly ignored.

" _I was a goddess to those people you know."_ she sighed, reminiscing. _"As a reward for their continued worship, I eventually empowered all of them with a fragment of chakra, for fun. Unfortunately, the fun times never last, and after centuries of watching them wage wars, I grew bored of them. I planned on exterminating them. To start over as they say."_ she said, no hint of remorse in her voice.

Naruto was disgusted by this woman and her scorched earth policy. She treated her people as if they were cattle to be poked, prodded, and then slaughtered.

" _My two sons disagreed with my plan however, and led a rebellion against me. Unfortunately, they did not have enough power, or bodies, to stop me, and I ended up killing them."_ She placed a hand on her cheek. _"It was only years later when I wanted to return, and started planning my return, that I realized my mistake."_

"That you killed your children."

The possessed shinobi shook their head. _"No. Not only did I kill the only two who could have alleviated my boredom, but I also killed not only two potential hosts, but future hosts that would have eventually been sired by them."_

If he thought he was disgusted with her before, then she had just proven him wrong. To think she was thinking of not only using her children, but potentially her grandchildren as well. She was a monster.

" _I only learned how grave of a mistake it was when I tried transferring my soul into a normal human host."_ The shinobi shook their head. _"It was far to stressful on the body, and the host died. My sons on the other-hand, and any future progeny of theirs, would have been perfect. Not only do they share my blood, but my flesh as well."_ she explained. _"Alas, with them gone, I needed an alternative. So I began to plan once more."_

Naruto didn't like the sound of that.

" _After years of selective breeding, you were born, and once I made sure you were the ideal choice, I removed you from your birth parents."_ she revealed, stunning him. _"Once I did that, I broke you down on a molecular level, and inseminated you into the one known as Sarah Rogers."_ she said. _"It was an arduous process, moving you across dimensions, with what power I had, but I managed, and now here you are."_

His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates, and any escape plan he had came to a halt. If what she was telling him was the truth, then that meant he wasn't really apart of the Rogers family. Then there were his birth parents. Were they even still alive? Did they still love him? There were simply to many questions and not enough answers.

"...You're lying." he said. "If this was true, then I would have also died the moment you fully entered my body."

" _Not so."_ she said. _"As previously stated, I've been planning this for a very long time. My blood flows through your veins. The transition would have been somewhat seamless."_

He gave her a confused look until it finally clicked in his head. "...The Infinity Formula." It was only one of two foreign substances he had ever put in his body, and it was the only thing that made sense.

The possessed shinobi nodded. _"My blood is the building block of it's creation."_ she said. _"Did you not find it odd as to why you suddenly started to learn at an astounding rate? Or how you even entered The Hand to begin with?"_ she questioned. _"Or why you have that eye I'm looking at? You manifested my eye, but not the one I truly sought. I even took certain measures to insure you did."_

"...What did you do?"

" _You didn't think it coincidence that your mother Sarah suddenly falls into depression, re-enlists as a nurse only to contract tuberculosis, and then ends up losing her child, do you?"_ she inquired. _"Or how your father Joseph just happened to be in the exact trench where a canister of mustard gas hit?"_

Naruto's jaw flexed, and his glare intensified tenfold.

" _Let's also not forget about prince T'Chaka. If he hadn't just shown up out of the blue, then you may not have had to kill his father."_ she said. _"I had hoped that the amount of suffering you'd been through to be enough to awaken the next stage of that eye, but alas, it was not meant to be."_

Naruto still remembered that night, vividly. His decision would haunt him for the rest of his years. She continued.

" _After the eye I wanted failed to manifest, I deemed you a failure..."_ She told him. _"Though the seed in your loins still had much potential. So I began to plan once more."_

His eyes traveled to Tsunade and the bump on her stomach.

" _Did you not find it odd how she acted with you the moment you arrived?"_ she asked. _"Going from the woman you first met at the expo, to the woman who was sleeping with other men, to suddenly a woman who wanted to be with you again."_ she said. _"I was manipulating her from the beginning. Though I do admit that you rejecting her advances put a hamper on my plans, however temporary it was. Eventually the two of you did the deed, and now here we are seven months later."_

"...Everything up to this point has been apart of one big plan, hasn't it?" he questioned, as the story of the Shintō pantheon fighting amongst themselves because of her suddenly entered his head.

" _Truly, those who carry my blood are destined for great things."_ She praised herself before giving him a nod. _"Correct. I eventually grew bored with life after my birth and the war. After visiting the human world, and liking it, I devised a plan."_ she said. _"One where I would rule and never follow. In order to accomplish this however, I couldn't have my family, or others interfering."_

"So you had them exile you after it was found out you were interfering in the affairs of humans, which in turn set in motion the rule of non-interference."

The possessed shinobi began to clap. _"Bravo. Yes, it's true. However, being a goddess among mortals didn't mean much since I could still be attacked. It was then that an idea came to me. The rule of non-interference only applied to the pantheons, and not humans, so it was then that I decided to transfer my soul and power into a human vessel."_ she said. _"Nobody would be able to touch me then. Everything was calculated."_ she declared smugly.

"Except for not knowing a human body couldn't handle your power, or then being sealed into another dimension." he stated, wiping that smug look off her face.

" _Yes. I had not anticipated my family going to such lengths."_ she spat, cursing the word family like it was a disease.

Naruto waited for her to continue, and when she didn't, he knew it was time. As he mentally prepared himself for the hardest fight of his short life, he just wanted one question answered from her.

"...What name did my birth parents give me?" he asked. While he will always consider the Rogers his true family, he needed some closure on the family he never knew.

" _Your current name here is the same as it was there-"_

Hearing what he wanted, he didn't allow her to finish that sentence as he flung his blade across the room, and watched as it impaled the possessed shinobi, killing them instantly. He repeated this process with his other blade. Before any of the others could react, he was on them in an instant, his kusarigama spinning rapidly as it killed the rest.

Once done, he re-sheathed his kōdachi's, and sealed his kusarigama. He walked over to Tsunade and gently picked her out of bed, and began to walk towards the door.

"...Damn."

The chances of escape were already plummeting before he acted, and they were pretty much zero now when he exited the door. In front of him stood what seemed like the entire organization, ready to kill him at a moments notice. He suddenly felt two hands clamp down on his shoulders, forcing him to his knees. From out the corner of his eyes, he spotted the stony faces, and glazed eyes, of the Tsuchikage and Raikage. The Mizukage had the exact same look to her as she came up to him and removed the mother of his child from his arms.

' _I need to think of something-'_

His head snapped to the west. His enhanced hearing caught the sounds of a Boeing B-29 Superfortress engine, and it was getting closer by the second. He needed to do something. It was now or never. No sooner had the thought entered his head did his eyes widen, and he grab his head in agony. It felt like something was trying to force it's way in, and he couldn't stop it.

' _Do not resist. We only wish to help you by providing you with the means to her end.'_

Not sure who was contacting him, he decided to listen. The enemy of his enemy was my friend after all. He would deal with the consequences of his actions later. Once he decided to stop resisting, his mind was suddenly bombarded with knowledge from the voice that claimed this would defeat his enemy. Not having much of a choice but to believe, he took a deep breath, and exhaled. He weaved the particular hand-seals that appeared in his head, and just for a second, he felt everything around him. All the life. It was like he was seeing for the first time in his entire life. It was a beautiful feeling. It vanished just as quickly as it came though. He then clapped his hands, and waited.

Time slowed to a stop, and a chilling shiver ran up the spines of everyone present. A cold sweat broke out on Naruto's brow as he now realized he did something he probably shouldn't have. He blinked and a lone figure suddenly stood amongst the group, as if it had always been there, and it was demanding obedience from all. Slowly, everyone began to prostrate before this being.

He had only ever felt like this one other time, and that was when he had nearly died. It was now that he realized that he had summoned something that was beyond dangerous, and that should be avoided at all costs, despite it always being around every corner.

He had summoned Death.

 **'** _ **Why have you summoned me?'**_

Five little words nearly froze his heart in place. When he had first met the Master, he thought he was in the presence of something otherworldly, well he was wrong. Standing in front of him was something far above him, and everyone else he'd ever met. He swallowed hard, and gathered his courage.

"...I wish to seal something within the realm of death." he finally said, repeating the exact same words that the voice in his head had instructed him to.

 **'** _ **What do you wish to seal?'**_

"The being known as The Demon Rabbit Goddess."

 **'** _ **Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?'**_

' _So that's her true name.'_

He nodded in affirmation.

"Yes."

 **'** _ **Very well. You know the price for summoning me, and using my power, correct?'**_

Naruto nodded. "I do, but I will offer something of even greater value than my soul." he said. He knew of the price, and the voice had given him an alternate route. "I not only offer up the soul of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, but of all those present as well, excluding mine, Tsunade's, and my unborn child's."

The visage of Death was covered in a shroud, so no one could see what they were looking at, but the moment he decided to barter, the being focused solely on him, intrigued. The veil surrounding it's face was removed and the face of a beautiful woman was looking down at him. He was so confused.

' _This is Death?'_

 **'** _ **Did you expect something different?'**_

Her sudden question snapped him out of his stupor, and he quickly shook his head.

 **'** _ **I see.'**_ Death suddenly transformed, and before him no longer stood a woman, but the skeleton of a human woman. That chill he felt earlier came back again full force. _**'Is this more to your liking?'**_

Naruto violently shook his head as her bony hand nearly caressed his face. He looked up, and wished he hadn't. Her stoic eyes were gone, and all that remained were sockets. She suddenly returned back to normal.

 _ **'Back to business.'**_ Death looked at everyone present. _**'One soul is not equal to that of another's.'** _ she said. _**'Excluding Kaguya's, your soul alone is worth more than the others combined.'**_

The blonde super-soldier was frowning. The voice told him this plan would work. How could his soul hold so much more value than an entire organizations?

"...Is the payment not satisfactory?"

Death shook her head. _**'No, the payment is satisfactory, but only for two of you.'** _ she said.

"What do you mean?"

 **'** _ **One of the other two you specified will not be exempt from my touch.'** _ she revealed. _**'Kaguya and her organization of people are only worth two souls. So choose. Your time is running out.'** _

Naruto knew she was right. The bomber was getting closer and closer, and would be here in less than a minute. He let out a sigh.

"Then save Tsunade and my child."

 **'** _ **Oh, and what of you?'**_

"It appears I'm to die here today." he answered. It sucked, but at least he saved his child's life, and he at least completed his mission.

 **'** _ **If there was another way to survive, to be with your family, would you take it?'** _ asked Death.

He knew manipulation when he saw it, and right now, he was being manipulated into something by this being. Why? He had no clue. Had his situation not been so dire, he would have asked what this other option was, but now that he was potentially being presented with an option to live, how could he not take it? He nodded. Death grinned for the first time in a very long time, and she waved her hand in front of him. A black skull mark appeared on his left pectoral. Naruto suddenly grabbed his chest in pain, and then looked inside of his shirt before looking at her.

"What's the tattoo for?" he asked, agreeing to her manipulation.

 **'** _ **Entertainment.'**_ said Death. She couldn't wait to see what this human did in the future. _**'The deal is complete.'**_ Naruto was suddenly aware that the others around him were on the floor, dead. _**'Though I warn you, do not summon me again unless you are willing to part with your soul.'**_

Before he could ask Death to save him and his family, which is quite ironic, he heard a scream, and he looked for the source. He found it quickly, as it was the only shinobi still left standing. Soon however even they fell, and a tear in the fabric of reality opened up. His sharingan bore witness to the moment he saw Kaguya Ōtsutsuki in all her glory, being dragged away like a child by ethereal arms of Death.

As he continued to watch, he suddenly felt another pair of eyes watching him. Turning around, he tried looking for the source, and then he looked up. It was a man, an odd one, but a man nonetheless. He was ten times the size of a normal human being. He simply floated in place, watching.

 **'** _ **I am Uatu the Watcher, and I have come to record this event.'**_

"I curse your name, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Turning back around, he could see that Kaguya was nearly in Death's realm. While he would definitely say that Kaguya was in the same category that Brünhilde was in, a goddess, as he could feel the insane amount of chakra she had, it still paled in comparison to the power wielded by Death. That being said though, had this been a fight between the two of them, he would have lost, badly. Her voice also no longer had that quality to it that made it sound otherworldly. It sounded normal to him.

"If I am to travel the endless abyss, then I will not be doing so alone!" screamed Kaguya.

Nearly all of her had been sealed at this point, but she still had enough of herself in the current reality to do something. She could have killed the blonde, but she decided that death was to easy. She wanted him to suffer. Sending her chakra out, she reanimated one of her dead subordinates, and had him go straight for Tsunade and child.

Naruto saw a random shinobi suddenly stand up and rush towards Tsunade. He ran as well, pushing his body to move faster than it ever has. He wasn't going to make it at his current speed. His eyes told him that, as the shinobi was seconds in front of him.

' _Shit!'_

Unsheathing one of his kōdachi, he threw it like a javelin, and nodded when it embedded itself in the shinobi's head. Though that didn't stop him, and he kept running. No time to be shocked, he took out a kunai, wrapped his ninja wire around it, and threw it. The wire wrapped around the shinobi's neck, and he pulled.

The blonde grit his teeth as he had just made it in time. The shinobi was but a few inches away from using his own blade to impale Tsunade. The shinobi managed to turn it's head, and looked at him. The person suddenly gave him a look of triumph-

 _Boom!_

"...Ugh." Naruto groaned as he had been blasted right onto his back. His ears were ringing, and his entire body hurt, but he had to get up, he had to push through this.

Finally getting to his feet, he began to stumble forward before falling to his knees. His hands quickly shot up to his mouth, to stop the contents of his stomach from escaping. He was no stranger to seeing gruesome scenes, or atrocities, but this felt different. This was a child who had been killed, but not just any child, his child. A child not yet even born to this world had already had their life snuffed out. Tears of blood ran down his face uncontrollably as he turned around and glared Kaguya with every ounce of anger and hate in his body.

"Bitch!" he snarled. "I swear, on my life, on my soul, that if we ever cross paths again, I am going to personally tear your soul out from your body, destroy it, and then burn your husk in the deepest fires of hell!"

Death grinned at his proclamation. Kaguya began to open her mouth but was not able to speak as she vanished. The process was complete. She now resided in the realm of the dead. Death's grin suddenly widened. The bomber was finally here. Seeing as she had fulfilled her role, she decided it was time to leave, but not before transporting her new form of entertainment out of the blast zone. Turns out it was a good idea to come down when she could have ignored the summoning. She now had a new toy at her disposal.

* * *

Naruto's blood red eyes were still focused on the spot where Kaguya had just been, all the anger and hate still on his face. After a few minutes, he finally had the power to look away, and turned to look at the spot where the remains of Tsunade and his child were. Instead of the...mess he had witnessed just a few minutes ago, there were now two patches of dirt. They were unmarked graves. His emotions were gradually beginning to soften.

The second he let go of his hate and anger, he began to feel something else, and he absolutely hated the feeling. It could be anything else, anything, not this...grief. No longer able to keep his emotions in check, he let everything out, howling his sorrow into the sky.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

' _...This is as good a place as any.'_

After venting for a few solid minutes, he was all worn out, emotionally. He had contemplated moving their graves but thought better of it. The place they were at currently was good. Though he couldn't say the same about himself at the moment.

He couldn't afford to stay here anymore, not when their graves would bring him to much pain. Though before he left, he decided he should at least say a few words. After all, despite the machinations behind their...tumultuous relationship, Tsunade was still the mother of his child, and he would show her the respect all mother's deserved.

His mind was drawing a blank when trying to come up with something to say. What could he say? That everything he thought, and initially felt, for Tsunade was a lie? Or that their progeny was only created to be used as a vessel for a psychopath?

He shook his head. He was thinking to much about this. The words would come to him eventually.

* * *

– _**Two Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **October 10th, 1945**_

The blonde super-soldier has been wandering around the countryside of Japan aimlessly for the past two months, despite the war being over already. Even after all military branches had pulled out. He honestly didn't know what he was still doing over here.

No, that was a lie. He knew exactly what he was doing. He was waiting for Death to come and claim him. If he returned, what was he returning to? Nothing, that's what. Steve was gone. Bucky was gone. His parents were gone. That happy memory of the first time he met Tsunade was tainted. So what was left for him? Work? No, not that.

All that was left was for him was to die and rejoin those he had lost. It was because of this that he no longer cared who saw him, or where his feet took him. Even if they took him to the base of Mt. Fuji. He still recalled seeing this mountain in all it's beauty when he had first entered Japan a year ago.

Down below the glorious mountain was it's ominous forest. He stared right into it, and he found it quite fitting he ended up here. He remembered the stories Tsunade told him of this forest, where murders to suicides would take place. He also remembered being told that many believed this to be an entrance into Yomi, the Japanese underworld. He entered.

* * *

 _ **~Hours Later~**_

Everywhere he looked there seemed to be an endless darkness that stretched on, and at times seemed to be encroaching upon him. Time was lost on him, and he didn't know if he had been walking for hours or days. It was all starting to bleed together.

"Oof!"

Not paying attention to what was in front of him, he tripped and fell face first into a ditch. He remained motionless, and decided to wait here, for his end.

"...I wonder what's going to end me first, starvation, or a pack of wild animals?"

"Neither I believe." said a soft voice. "You dying here would defeat the purpose of me guiding you this far after all."

His eyes were suddenly closing one moment and snapping open the next. He bolted up when he heard a voice he recognized. Coming into view was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid his eyes on.

"Thank you for the compliment." she said.

His eyes widened. _'Did I say that aloud?'_

"You don't always have to speak with your mouth when your face conveys what you're thinking." she said, amused. A question was on the tip of his tongue, but she held a hand up, silencing him. "I know you have many questions, and they will be answered, but for the moment, I need you to rest."

The beautiful woman mimicked the action of Death, waving her hand in front of him, and he suddenly felt the warmth of the sun envelop him, which he thought impossible in this place. As it continued to embrace him, he slowly found himself drifting off to sleep.

* * *

 _ **~Two Days Later~**_

Naruto slowly began to open his eyes, blinking a few times, when he suddenly recalled the beautiful woman in the forest, and they snapped open. In a matter of seconds, he unsheathed his last kōdachi and pulled out a kunai with his other hand. Despite his poor state in the forest, his training was still ingrained in him. His weapons fell from his hands the moment he saw the view in front of him. It was the most mesmerizing thing he had ever seen.

It was a city, but unlike any city he had ever seen before. If he had to compare it to something, then he would say it reminded him of what Japan used to look like before modernization. There was nothing but castles, and land as far as the eye could see. With the sun directly behind them, it appeared as if the city was made of gold.

If he could just stare at this serene, picturesque, moment forever, then he felt like all his troubles would just go away. Unfortunately, as much as he wanted to do that, he couldn't. Not when he had spotted a few individuals off to the side of where he was. The group of individuals stared at him, and he vice versa. None of them said anything, or made a move, until one of them decided to step forward.

"You know who we are, correct?" asked a large Asian man, with a jeweled spear in hand.

The blonde super-soldier nodded. Judging by what country he was in, what he had experienced in the past few months, and the woman who felt like the sun, then yes, he knew who they were. Though he did note there was a group missing.

"You're the Shintō and Ainu pantheons."

The man in front of him nodded. "Correct. I am the leader of the Shintō Kami, Izanagi. Those behind me are my family and friends."

Before he could ask the god in front of him about the missing Buddha's, he was suddenly caught off-guard. Every person in front of him, including Izanagi, was bowing before him.

"Thank you." They all said in unison.

The shock wore off, and a frown soon formed. "For what?"

"For taking care of my daughter." answered the woman who had retrieved him. If he was right, then he was assuming this was Amaterasu. "If my daughter had been able to acquire a mortal host, then we would not have been able to intervene when she began to attack earth." she said. "The only time we could have attacked was when she came for us, and she would have eventually."

"I see..." he said, and looked at her for a long moment. "...You're the voice."

Amaterasu nodded. "Correct. It was indeed I." she admitted. "Knowledge is all I provided you with though. The credit for actually defeating her goes to you. It is because you did this for us-"

"How did I even accomplish that?" interrupted the blonde. "All I have is the sharingan, and I know it alone is not strong enough to summon Death. So how?"

The goddess of the sun paused for a moment, thinking of how best to answer. "...We do not know." she answered truthfully. "Even after centuries, Kaguya's power is still a mystery to us. Her blood flowing through your veins could have awoken something within you. Only time will tell what allowed you to summon the entity known as Death to our realm."

Naruto frowned. That info just burst his bubble. He was hoping since they were gods they would have known the answer to his question.

"Now, as I was saying beforehand." Naruto muttered a sorry. "We wish to reward you for your victory over Kaguya."

"...How?"

"By making you our champion."

Now that he heard her answer, he could officially give her his, but before he could answer, he was suddenly bathed in flames. Once they receded, he looked like a different man. No longer did he look scruffy. He was now clean shaven, his hair was clean and cut, and the gear he wore was now in pristine condition. With one addition. It was a black haori, and on it's back were two symbols. One was a red whirlpool, the other was a gate of some kind, with the gate atop the whirlpool.

"It's a Torii gate." said one of the men in the back. "Apologies, but I have not yet introduced myself have I? My name is Susanoo." introduced the man. "As I was saying, that is a Torii gate, and it will inform others that you are under our banner."

Naruto didn't know what to say, what could he say? Things were moving to fast. He needed to slow it down. He closed his eyes behind his new mask, and took a deep breath. Once he had calmed down, he addressed them.

"...I'm flattered you'd bestow such an honor upon me, but I must ask, why me?" he asked. "Because I'm not sure I even want this."

"Truthfully speaking, some of us were wary of bestowing such a title upon you because of your current state of mind." admitted Amaterasu. "However, a few others and I felt differently. We managed to sway them to our side, and accept our logic."

"Which is?"

"That you will push past the pain inflicted upon you, and become stronger because of it." she stated in confidence. Her face then softened. "I know it is hard to move on from that which you have lost, but do you truly believe that those who are gone would wish to see you as you are?"

He didn't want to admit it, but he knew the sun goddess was correct. His father, mother, Steve, and even Bucky would give him a swift kick in the ass if they saw how he was acting. He knew they wouldn't want him wallowing in his misery. They would want him to move on. Just thinking about the family he no longer had was making him sad. He needed to move on from this topic of family.

"...Would you still bestow such a title upon me despite knowing of the things I did during the war?" he asked. "Or what I may do in the future?"

"Yes." Amaterasu answered without hesitation.

Naruto's teeth clicked. "I can't promise to forgive what your blood has done to mine, but I can promise to move on from it when I'm ready." he said. "If you can accept that, then I will become the champion you seek."

"That will suffice."

He nodded. "So be it then. Now, what is to be expected of me when I decide to take this role?"

"Very little." answered Izanagi. "All I ask of you is to heed our call when we have need of you."

The blonde super-soldier was now frowning. Why were they going to such lengths to give him a title if they weren't even going to be really needing him? His paranoia was starting to act up. Was there some backdoor dealings going on here?

Amaterasu seemed to sense his uneasiness, and quickly spoke. "What my father means to say, is that if we ever enter a battle, which is unlikely, then we will call upon you. Straightforward, yes?"

He nodded. "It is straightforward, though I do have to wonder. Just what sort of enemies do you have that you, gods and goddess, cannot destroy, and would need the help of a mortal?"

"You'd be surprised how often it's mortals, and not gods or goddess, who are the deciding factor in a battle." replied Izanagi. He's witnessed enough battles to know it was possible. "Besides, you're hardly a mortal anymore. Not with Kaguya's blood flowing through your veins. Not to mention a slew of other gods and goddess."

Now that he thought about it, the leader of the Shintō Kami was correct. Because of the her blood, he was now technically related to Amaterasu, her husband, and the very god who had pointed this all out to him, Izanagi. His head was beginning to spin. It felt like he had just been sucker punched in the gut.

"If I'm not technically a mortal anymore, then what am I?"

"You're still mortal, Naruto. Don't fret." reassured Amaterasu. "You're just something more. I suppose the correct term to use in this situation would be Demigod, though even that might be stretching things out a bit." she said. "Considering that you weren't actually born of a divine being and a mortal."

"If that's the case, then I'll stick with being referred to as a mortal." said Naruto. He wanted to keep some sense of normalcy.

Izanagi nodded. "Very well. Now, is there anything you wish to ask of me, or any of the others before you depart?"

He wasn't all that surprised they were kicking him out already. As gods and goddesses they probably had a bunch of stuff they had to do. Nevertheless, he gave Izanagi a nod.

"Speak."

"...I wish to know more about the being known as Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."

While he was confident in the speech he gave the goddess as Death took her, he still felt the need to know more about his enemy. If she ever did come back, it would be with a vengeance, and it could be at any point in time. He needed to be ready, and he was looking for any advantage he could get.

Izanagi looked to Amaterasu, who nodded. "Kaguya was not born out of love, but of necessity." she said. "To understand our reasoning, you must first understand the why."

"Which was?"

"War."

Naruto nodded. "It was against the other Japanese pantheons, right?" He remembered this story from Tsunade's lessons.

Amaterasu shook her head. "No. Kaguya misinformed you. Why? I don't know, but it was not against our brothers and sisters. It was against space gods simply known as The Celestials."

"Who're they?"

The sun goddess once more shook her head. "Even we don't know much about them. What we do know is that they are extremely powerful, and they were only few in number when we fought them. Who knows how many there are exactly."

"Why were you at war with these Celestials?"

"Because they came to pass judgment on earth." answered Izanagi. "A meeting was held between the leaders of all pantheons when the fourth host arrived. We agreed to attack."

"The result?"

"We were crushed." replied the Shintō Kami leader. "Our first siege had nearly been our last. It was then that we realized a different approach was needed. That was when my daughter approached me."

"Not alone." said Amaterasu. "It was the leader of the Ainu, Kandakoro, and I who approached you."

Naruto was surprised. That was different than what he was told. "I thought it was with a member of the Buddhist pantheon that you had a child with?"

Amaterasu shook her head. "Once more my daughter misinformed you. It was the opposite of what she told you. The Buddha's were in fact the ones to bless her."

The blonde nodded. That made more sense regarding the whole chakra business. Amaterasu could see where the facts had taken him, and nodded.

"Yes, many of us, including the Buddha's, did not foresee her gaining chakra." she said. "Many of us had hoped she would instead gain a better understanding of life and the universe. Wisdom would have served us well in that war." stated the sun goddess. "I know this information will matter very little to you, but you are now the only being who wields chakra, that does not belong to the Vishnu or Buddhist pantheon."

She was right, it mattered very little to him, but he nodded nonetheless.

"The moment she came into being, we fed her an elixir that aged her." said Izanagi. "She was then put to training, by all of us, and then into battle."

While he still hated Kaguya for what she had done to him and his family, he could at least understand why she turned out the way she did. Born with so much power, aged the next second, trained by all of these gods and goddesses, and then thrust into a cosmic war. It was no wonder she turned out to be a bored psychopath.

"Was she the edge you needed to win?" asked the blonde.

"Unfortunately no." answered the leader of the Kami. "For as strong as she was, even she could not kill a Celestial, though she did put up more of a fight."

"So what happened?" he asked. Something must've since he was talking to them.

"Before judgment could be passed by a Celestial known as Arishem, Gaea suddenly arrived." he told him. "She arrived with twelve humans who best represented humanity's worth."

"I'm confused. Why were you fighting them to begin with if they only sought to judge humanity and not the pantheons themselves?"

"The answer is quite simple really. The people of earth pray and worship us, who are we whom they believe in not to protect them. We were not about to leave their lives in the hands of the space gods."he explained.

Hearing his explanation suddenly brought Naruto back to that conversation he had with Brünhilde a few months ago, about what makes a god a god. He had just received a good answer to that question of his.

"I take it they accepted."

Izanagi nodded. "Yes. They took the twelve aboard their ship, and we have not seen them since." he said. "Though many of us anticipate they will return one day." he finished.

"I see."

"Do you have any other questions for us?" he asked.

Naruto contemplated his response carefully before nodding to himself.

"It's not so much a question as it is a request."

"Speak it."

"...Is it within your godly power to bring my child back to life?"

"No."

His request was shot down immediately by Izanagi. "Even we do not have the power to bring the dead back to life. Once a soul has been claimed by Death, then it is hers forever."

"Oh..."

"Is there anything else you wish to request of us instead?"

It took him a moment to think of something, but he did. "Yes actually. I would like to know everything there is to know about the world I was originally born in."

He had nearly asked to learn about his birth parents, but decided not to just focus on them. While he would love to know more about them, he didn't need that emotional baggage right now. So what better way to cover learning about them than with learning about other things at the same time. It was a win win situation. He'd learn about them, and his home.

"That request is more manageable, but it does come with a risk to yourself."

"Which is?"

"Potentially leaving you brain-dead." answered Amaterasu.

"...How would that even happen?"

"A number of ways, but with regards to your situation, it would be the amount of information we'd be sending directly into your mind." replied the sun goddess. "If it can't handle the strain, then your brain is mush. Do you still want to proceed?"

Naruto actually grimaced. Hearing that his brain could turn to mush if he went through with this was not something he needed to hear. Then again, no sacrifice, no victory. He gave Amaterasu a nod.

"Let's do this."

She nodded. "Please follow me."

As he followed behind her, he decided to ask a question about the procedure. "How long is this going to take anyways? And will it hurt?"

"Normally, it doesn't take that long, but since we've never done it with a human, who knows." she told him. "Though it might be different in your case, what with the super-soldier serum and Kaguya's blood in you."

"I see."

"Oh, and it will hurt, but only if you let it." she said. "Don't resist or you'll only make it worse."

Naruto was reminded of that time when the very sun goddess in front of him spoke to him when he was fighting Kaguya. He resisted her, and his head hurt like hell. He gave her a nod.

"Noted. Let's get started."

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Seven**_

* * *

 _ **Pretty self explanatory, but I'll state it again. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya in this story is Marvel related, and not from the Narutoverse. Though the one in this story does share some similarities with the other. There will be no more characters from the Naruto series appearing.**_

* * *

 _ **REVIEW**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Here is the eight chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

" _Do you have any other questions for us?" he asked._

 _Naruto contemplated his response carefully before nodding to himself._

" _It's not so much a question as it is a request."_

" _Speak it."_

" _...Is it within your godly power to bring my child back to life?"_

" _No."_

 _His request was shot down immediately by Izanagi. "Even we do not have the power to bring the dead back to life. Once a soul has been claimed by Death, then it is hers forever."_

" _Oh..."_

" _Is there anything else you wish to request of us instead?"_

 _It took him a moment to think of something, but he did. "Yes actually. I would like to know everything there is to know about the world I was originally born in."_

 _He had nearly asked to learn about his birth parents, but decided not to just focus on them. While he would love to know more about them, he didn't need that emotional baggage right now. So what better way to cover learning about them than with learning about other things at the same time. It was a win win situation. He'd learn about them, and his home._

" _That request is more manageable, but it does come with a risk to yourself."_

" _Which is?"_

" _Potentially leaving you brain-dead." answered Amaterasu._

" _...How would that even happen?"_

" _A number of ways, but with regards to your situation, it would be the amount of information we'd be sending directly into your mind." replied the sun goddess. "If it can't handle the strain, then your brain is mush. Do you still want to proceed?"_

 _Naruto actually grimaced. Hearing that his brain could turn to mush if he went through with this was not something he needed to hear. Then again, no sacrifice, no victory. He gave Amaterasu a nod._

" _Let's do this."_

 _She nodded. "Please follow me."_

 _As he followed behind her, he decided to ask a question about the procedure. "How long is this going to take anyways? And will it hurt?"_

" _Normally, it doesn't take that long, but since we've never done it with a human, who knows." she told him. "Though it might be different in your case, what with the super-soldier serum and Kaguya's blood in you."_

" _I see."_

" _Oh, and it will hurt, but only if you let it." she said. "Don't resist or you'll only make it worse."_

 _Naruto was reminded of that time when the very sun goddess in front of him spoke to him when he was fighting Kaguya. He resisted her, and his head hurt like hell. He gave her a nod._

" _Noted. Let's get started."_

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Six Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **March 17th, 1946**_

' _...It's going to start snowing soon, and quite heavily by the looks of those clouds.'_

The blonde shinobi released a long winded sigh as he continued to stare up at the dull, gray colored sky of Canada. He was currently scouring the country's wilderness, searching for the whereabouts of a rogue military branch gone dark. A branch that also happened to participate in Project: Rebirth. The splintered organization simply went by the name Department K.

He didn't know much about the splintered faction, only what he'd read of their file. Even that was quite minimal. In contrast to that however, he had learned much while he was in Japan, both good and bad. Now that he thought back on it though, he should have requested something else from the Shintō Kami. Sure he was glad he now had knowledge of his people's history, culture, and techniques they referred to as jutsu, but he would give it all up if he could forget what he learned about Tsunade.

Turns out, there was another woman just like her in his original home, and the two women only shared one thing in common, a name. Just from that fact alone, he knew the one he had been dealing with to be a fake. Some poor woman was manipulated like the rest of them. Learning this hurt, a lot. It was a surreal feeling, like someone had been covering his eyes this entire time.

Though that wasn't even the worst part, in his opinion at least. It was the treatment of the woman being used. Not only was her freedom taken from her, but her will to think as well. So while he thought they were sharing something during that week before he left to assassinate Hitler, it was really akin to rape.

He could keep telling himself that he had no way of knowing during that time, but that only helped so much. All he could do was offer an apology to the deceased woman, accept what he had unknowingly done, and try to move on as best he could. When he finally returned stateside, and received a standing ovation from those working in the Offices of Strategic Services, he wasn't gonna lie, it felt good. It was a positive boost in the right direction, and one he sorely needed after returning.

After the ovation passed, it was business as usual. He had been taken to a secure room, in a different facility, and debriefed. Not only was Fury there, but a bunch of other men in suites he didn't know. He then proceeded to give them his report, while omitting a few key details. He knew it was treasonous to do so, but he felt it prudent to keep this a secret. He didn't need some bureaucrats getting antsy about other superhumans who weren't under anyone's control, and accidentally starting a war. One he knew they wouldn't win.

In the end, he gave them what they wanted to hear, and left it at that. Apparently, that was the correct form of action, as all they wanted was his assurance that The Hand was destroyed, or as crippled to the point of never rising again. Once that piece of business was done, they moved onto the next. Which was rewarding him for a job well done. They offered him the position of director in a new organization they were creating within the government, and by new they meant re-branding.

The Offices of Strategic Services was going to be henceforth known as the Central Intelligence Agency.

Before he had given his superiors his answer, two men whom he knew, and had somewhat made him what he was today, intervened. Colonel Chester Phillips and Howard Stark. They had taken him aside and also made him an offer. To be director of their new organization, which was also being re-branded.

The Strategic Scientific Reserve was going to be henceforth known as SHIELD, a peace keeping task force.

If he were being honest, he hadn't been all that sure about joining either organization. If he joined, it was basically akin to him continuing to fight the good fight, and frankly, he was tired of it. He's seen and caused enough death to last him a lifetime. Then again, what was he supposed to do if he didn't join? Live out his days in normalcy? Get a normal job? No. He'd go stir crazy within the week. Add to that the fact that the government probably wouldn't stop hounding him either. He was an asset to them. He had been built to fight, and that was what he would continue to do, but on his terms.

So, with that being said, he'd taken up the offer presented to him by Stark and Phillips, and become the first director of SHIELD. He had respectfully declined the position of CIA director as best he could, but one look in the eyes of his former superiors told him differently. He could see the betrayal. He was sorry they felt that way, but he went with the organization he felt had more upside. Plus, he wanted to honor his brother by picking up where he left off.

Unfortunately, since the strategic scientific reserve was mostly made up of scientists, the actual amount of military personnel was quite small. That was okay though. This just meant he would have to be very aggressive in his recruiting expansion, but at the same time be careful in who he let join. For the time being, his candidates were American only, but his superior, President Truman, informed him that plans were being conceived to bring other countries into the fold. He wagered it was countries that were part of the Allied Powers. Either way, once this came to pass, the territory he could search would expand by tenfold.

However, until that actually happened, he was confined within his country, and his search began.

The first person on his list was a no-brainer. It was his first instructor, Adriana Soria. Unfortunately, it seems there was no information on her current whereabouts. It was as if she had simply dropped off the face of the planet. The search would continue, but as of this moment, she would not be a selection.

His second choice was currently standing beside him. It was one of his first friends, Isaiah Bradley. His friend was originally to be court-martialed because he had stolen something for a mission he had been assigned. He put a stop to that. Some, mainly those of the opposition, saw it as an abuse of power on his part, essentially conscripting a would-be criminal into an organization that was meant to keep the peace.

He didn't see it that way.

The way he saw it was him basically giving the man a second chance. Granted, he would have to earn it by working for him and SHIELD, but in his opinion, that was a far better option than spending the next seventeen years of your life in prison. Which was the minimum amount of time the opposition was trying to place on Isaiah's sentence.

"So Nate, when you gonna invite me, Faith, and by little girl Sarah over to your mansion?" inquired the large man, grinning in his direction.

Originally, Naruto had been torn on what he wanted people to call him, as he didn't want to disrespect either set of parents he had, so he decided to compromise. Only those who were close to him would call him Nathan, or Naruto, whichever they wished, but anyone else he didn't know would always refer to him as Naruto.

The blonde shinobi snorted. "Just because I purchased a large home doesn't mean it's a mansion." he replied.

Though he supposed the interior of the house could constitute as mansion-like. After he had returned from Japan, he had not only received his payment for his long-term mission of destroying The Hand, he was also informed of what he would be making as director of SHIELD. Sure, the money he had filled his home with nice things, but that alone didn't make the inside mansion-like. No, he wagered it was the pieces he had adorned on his walls that accomplished that.

The walls of his penthouse were lined with various weapons of all shapes and sizes, weapons he had looted from Hand weapon storage's. That wasn't all. Everything he had taken from Hitler, after he had killed the man, also adorned his walls. From the various firearms to pieces of artwork. Hell, even the tyrant himself had painted a few things, though they were mostly of German Shepherds though, so he wasn't sure how valuable those were.

All in all, with everything he had taken, along with what he received upon his return, and will receive in the future, he was, and would continue to be, one of the wealthiest men in the world.

"Wait. I'm confused. I thought all those who owned their homes considered them their castles and or mansions?" questioned a soft voice.

"I believed that as well." added another.

Naruto and Isaiah looked to the other members of the group traveling with them.

"It's a figure of speech." started Isaiah. "Ya see, Monica, Yukio..."

The blonde director let his friend take charge of explaining things to their teammates, Monica Chang and Yukio. The two young-women were his tandem third and fourth choices for SHIELD. Recruiting the two of them was, admittedly, much harder than recruiting Isaiah. Certain people within the government did not wish to relinquish the two, for they wished to study them, and learn just how the Soviets, and their Red Room, created them.

He didn't want that sort of life for them, as he felt partially responsible for them. What with the botched mission in Madripoor and whatnot. When he had first met them, after Madripoor, they still acted more soldier than young-women, and he decided to change that. Using his eyes ability for hypnosis, he gave them one instruction. To act their age, when not on a mission or working. He only gave them one as he didn't want to overload them, and he would add more as time went on.

The fifth choice was also a no-brainer for him. It was Margaret "Peggy" Carter, the woman who had first trained him and Steve during basic training. She was a perfect candidate for SHIELD, so much so that he made her his second-in-command.

His sixth choice was also an easy selection, and one that filled a need. A pilot. He had recruited the only pilot he knew, Terrence Rhodes. The man had been more than willing to join, especially since he was planning on starting a family in the future.

The last selection was actually a group, and if he were honest, he hadn't been all that entirely positive about recruiting them. There was some...bad blood between he and them, though only he actually knew that. Nevertheless, he needed experienced soldiers. The Howling Commandos were now apart of his organization, and none of them would ever know it was he who had inadvertently killed one of their own.

When he had brought the commandos in, he was surprised to learn that it was not one of the more senior men who had replaced Steve or Bucky as leader, but someone new. The moment he had seen the man, he could understand why. His name was Nicholas Fury, son of Jack Fury. He briefly remembered reading about Nick back when he was in Germany, hunting Hitler, though he didn't know his name at the time as no news outlets knew it.

Regardless of whether it was his father's influence, or something else, that put him in charge, it still did not change the fact that the man had lied to him upon their meeting. Same with Isaiah. Every interview he conducts with a potential recruit is done with his sharingan. He doesn't pry into their personal life or anything, but he needs to know if the person can be trusted. When speaking to Nick and Isaiah, he didn't even need to use his eyes to tell that there was something off about them. So, he confronted them about it.

He could have used his eyes to acquire the truth, but he decided not to. Trust was a two-way street, and he would be the one to initiate it. Both saw the olive branch he was extending them, and they each took it. The both of them explained that they had both been experimented on by their government.

Isaiah explained that he had been part of a group of over three-hundred African American men forced to receive an experimental variation of the super-soldier serum back in '44. As it turns out, the political powers that be in the government were quite happy with Steve and his efforts during the war, so much so that they wanted more soldiers like him. Unfortunately, all but Isaiah and another succumbed to the serum's effects and died. The plug had been pulled on the experiment soon after, and on everyone who had participated. Though not before Isaiah could put his newfound power to good use.

Nick had been in a similar situation, being experimented on, there was only one difference. The man had actually volunteered for it. When asked why he would willingly become a test subject, the man told him that he saw it as an opportunity to not only end the war faster, but to help his country in the future as well. He did this despite knowing the risks that came with injecting an experimental serum into his bloodstream, which was already having an effect on him. Nick was blind in one eye.

Hidden bunker door fifty yards ahead of us." Pointed out Yukio.

The chatter ceased between teammates as the five man team mentally began to prepare themselves to enter. Isaiah and Nick each took a position to the side of him while Yukio took point, and Monica took the rear.

"Good job locating the entrance, Yukio." The young Asian woman beamed slightly at the praise she had received from her director. "Let's move in and see if we can't find out why this place suddenly went dark." he ordered.

The four nodded silently, and picked up the pace a bit. Arriving at the metal door, Isaiah stepped up to it, used his super-strength, and tore it off it's hinges. Tossing it to the side, he moved out of the way as everyone stepped inside. Their mission was a go.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

Naruto, Isaiah, and Nick wholeheartedly believed they had left the horrors and atrocities of the war far behind them, well, they were wrong. It appeared there were monsters everywhere, and they took many shapes.

"Human experimentation!" spat the blonde in disgust as he read one of the many files he'd recently come across.

The second the group of five entered the underground bunker, they knew it wasn't deserted. They could hear the murmuring of multiple voices. As they descended down the stairwell, they were able to get a much better scope of just how enormous the bunker actually was. Some areas of the facility were on a blackout while others, those closer to them, were still functioning. The populace consisted mostly of scientists, with a few guards for protection.

Yukio and Monica easily dispatched the guards while Isaiah corralled all of the scientists. Fury was with him, helping him sift through the various files they had located in one of the offices. Possibly that of the head researcher.

"Find anything of interest?"

Fury grunted an affirmative. "Most of the files I've seen are of interest, though only two have a distinct possibility of actually giving us information on what was going on down here."

"Show me."

The one-eyed man nodded, and handed his superior two folders. "Project: Black Womb, and Project: Weapon X."

Naruto was now frowning. "X, as in the roman numeral for ten?" he inquired. "If that's the case, then where are the previous nine?"

"...Here and there, sir."

Blue eyes zeroed in on Fury. "If you have information on them I suggest you spit it out soldier."

Fury sighed. "Weapon I is Captain America."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "...Are you positive?" If this was true, then he was also part of this project.

The one-eyed man nodded. "It wasn't referred to as what it is now. You would know it under a different name, Project: Rebirth. It's all part of something simply referred to as the Weapon Plus Program."

"So this whole program was designed to create more super-soldiers huh."

Fury nodded again. "Correct. Though the means to achieve similar success as Captain America varied differently over time."

"I see. What of the others?"

The one-eyed man hesitated for a bit. "...Isaiah and I were apart of the Weapon V project." he finally revealed. "Though neither of us knew the actual name of the project at the time." he added. He was just as surprised to find his name in the file.

Naruto could only nod. "...And the rest?" inquired the blonde, having since taken a seat.

"Deceased."

"What of Weapon X?"

"No participants as of yet." he answered. "Unlike the previous increments, the purpose of this project is genetic engineering, specifically, creating mutations in humans, and enhancing existing mutations."

' _Mutants huh...'_

Hearing what his subordinate said just made him shake his head. He just didn't understand what it was with people and wanting to play God. It just made no sense to him. "What of the other project?"

"The purpose of Black Womb is to research genetics and mutations..." Fury paused, and suddenly looked like he swallowed a lemon. "...By injecting mutated genomes into pregnant women." he finally said. "It was so that their unborn children could naturally adapt to the gene, thus creating a new breed of super-soldier, as you had earlier surmised."

Both projects bothered Naruto, but more so Black Womb. It wasn't just the fact that these scientists were messing around with mutants, which he sorta was since he had a mutation, but the fact that they messing around with unborn children hit a nerve within him. Seeing as he's already gone through this with Kaguya.

"Do either projects mention any names?" he inquired. "Or perhaps where the experiments are going to take place? Or who is funding all of this?"

"All locations of the previous projects differ, and none have been selected for the tenth." answered the one-eyed man. "A negative on who might be funding this, but it's not all bad news. There are the names of three scientists."

"Who?"

"Lead scientist Dr. Dale Rice, and his two assistants, Dr. Martin Sutter and Dr. Adam Harkins."

Naruto nodded. "Bring me all of the scientists." he ordered. He would have asked him to bring in just those men, but they lacked photo documentation. He was going to have to do this the hard way. "And while you're out there, I want you to inform Yukio, Monica, and Isaiah to start searching the grounds."

He was rather positive the trio was going to find something. The file in his hand guaranteed that. He had also located files of interest, three to be exact, but only one was not fully blacked out. The only file not classified to hell was on something called Project: Thundra, and that was most likely because the project was finished.

It seems he wasn't the only person to have a run-in with a god, or goddess, or in his case, a pantheon. The scientists of Department K apparently did as well. He didn't know how they had done it, but they had acquired a sample of Asgardian DNA. That sample was eventually injected into a normal human woman, and within a few years, she had begun to change.

If the file was to be believed, and he had no reason to doubt it, then her transformation was complete. The woman, whom they named Thundra, an homage to Thor he presumed, was 7'2, and 350lbs. The file also stated that the hybrid female was still in her gestation tank, where she would remain, until he deemed it fit for her to be released.

"Argh!"

Hearing the grunts of pain, he turned his gaze unto the large group of men and women before him. All of them were on their knees, looking up at him. He didn't say anything, instead choosing to just look at them. His crimson eyes were slowly unnerving them. After a few more seconds he took a breath and began.

"The conversation is going to go like this. I ask all of you a question, those who answer truthfully will get to live. Simple, right?" He ignored their looks of fear. "First question. Which one of you is Dale Rice?"

No one answered. Naruto simply nodded. They were each watching over the other. He could respect that. It wasn't going to save them, but he could respect it. He pulled out his piece, and took aim.

"Last chance to talk."

His scare tactic wasn't working on them. Nodding, he shot one of the scientists closest to him.

 _Bang!_

Let's see if the group was now willing to be more cooperative.

"Jesus Christ!"

"I'm afraid he isn't coming." said the blonde. "So, any of you feel like talking now?" he asked, taking aim once more.

They were still holding their tongues, which honestly surprised him. Though upon closer inspection, he could see the sweat rolling down the faces of a few of them. He zeroed in on two men, and just looked at them. Their eyes were subtly directing him to their right, and his left. His eyes landed on an older looking man. He quickly scanned the surface of the man's mind with his eyes.

"It seems we have a winner." he suddenly announced to the group. He then looked over to the two men who had given him what he wanted. "What are your names?"

"Martin Sutter."

"Adam Harkins."

A smile made it's way onto his face. It seems he wouldn't have to search everyone here to find these two men. They'd just outed themselves for him. He gave each man a nod.

"Well gentlemen, you both get to live to see another day." he said, and the two men suddenly fell to the ground unconscious. He would probe them for info later. The lead man was top priority right now.

"What did you do to them?!"

"Nothing that you need to worry about." assured the blond. "So, want to tell me what Project: Sentry and Project: Wendigo are?"

The scientist grew quiet, and refused to look him in the eye, whether it was out of fear or the fact that he maybe believed he had a power, Naruto did not know, and honestly didn't care. The blonde super-soldier eventually let out a sigh, he didn't have time for this.

 _Bang!_

Rice physically flinched as another of his subordinates was killed. The others were screaming for him to speak! He still refused to speak.

 _Bang!_

Three deaths is what it took for the man known as Dale Rice to finally break. It seems he didn't want anymore blood on his hands.

"Stop! Please stop." he pleaded. "I'll talk. Just don't kill anymore of my subordinates."

The blonde super-soldier nodded. "Good. First question, who runs the Weapon Plus Program?"

Rice shakily shrugged his shoulders. "I've never met the man, or heard his actual name. Those of us who work here simply refer to him as The Professor. He was the one who created The Facility."

"The Facility?"

"This underground bunker that houses us, our labs, and our experiments."

Naruto nodded, now understanding. Seeing as there wasn't much information on the ringleader of this little operation, he decided to repeat his earlier question.

"What is Project: Sentry and Project: Wendigo?"

"...The idea behind Project: Sentry was to create a super-soldier a thousand times stronger than the legendary Captain America." revealed Rice.

"Was?"

"The serum originally concocted in The Facility was taken to another department within the Weapon Plus Program. One we know nothing about. All so they could complete it."

The blonde stared at the man for a moment, further unnerving him and the others, when he suddenly stopped, and let out a sigh. He could tell the man was speaking to him truthfully.

"What of the other project?"

"There's a legend of a curse being placed upon these lands by the gods, about a beast that arises when human flesh is devoured by another."

"You mean cannibalism."

Rice nodded.

"Are you going somewhere with this?"

The man nodded once more. "We as scientists did not believe such a fairy tale. How could we. There was simply no basis, or scientific facts, that such a thing could happen, but then we began to wonder of certain possibilities. What would it take to create such a creature?"

The shinobi could already see where this was going.

"We gathered DNA samples from numerous animals whose traits we believed would be ideal for the creature." he said. "We then spliced them together, forming a single gene, and the injected it into our test subject. Within months of doing so a change could already be seen, and before long a creature out of myth was born. The first of it's kind. The Wendigo."

"What was the subjects name?"

Rice grimaced, and slowly shrugged. "...I don't remember."

"Just because you have the intellect and resources to create doesn't mean you always should!" shouted the blonde, very angry. He'd entered the war to fight for freedom, for the right to choose, not for this. It took him a full minute to calm down. "Where is the creature now?"

"In it's cage."

The super-soldier nodded, and hoped the trio scouring the grounds located it.

"What more can you tell me about projects Weapon X and Black Womb?"

"Nothing much I'm afraid." he answered. "The Weapon X project was to be handled here, but that's all I know of it. I don't know if it still will be. The Black Womb project was an invitation from a secret third party. Depending on how we did with Weapon X determined our fate on the Black Womb project."

"So this place went dark because you lot got greedy huh." said Naruto. "Your plan to double-cross the head of the Weapon Plus Program, and then move on over to Black Womb, backfired on you, and now you have neither project. Is that why you created Thundra and the Wendigo? To show them you still hold some worth."

Rice frowned when he put it that way. "Essentially."

The man had answered the questions he had at the moment, and decided to continue this interrogation at a later date. The illusion he'd placed on the man was lifted, and the three dead subordinates were suddenly alive again, though unconscious, along with the rest of them. Only Rice was conscious.

"What! You tricked me!?"

"It's all part of the game." said the blonde, who then made the man fall to the ground unconscious.

It still amazed him what his eyes could do, especially now that they were even stronger. He had noticed it one night at home, when his eyes suddenly began to hurt. It was like they were on fire. The pain was near unbearable. It was then he recalled feeling like this when news of Bucky's death reached him, then when news of Steve came in, and lastly when he saw the remains of his dead child. That was when the information from his home world came into play, as it told him what was happening to his eyes. They had evolved. No longer did they resemble a sharingan eye. The three tomoe were now connected to one another, in an intricate design. They were what the people of his home world referred to as the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Walking out of the office, and over the many unconscious bodies, he saw his team waiting for him. He addressed the duo, that was one member short, first.

"Find anything?"

Monica and Yukio nodded. "Yes sir." They chorused. "We found a very large tank, with an even larger woman inside of it." said Monica. "Isaiah is currently on stand by with it while I report our findings."

"I see. Good work." The two stood straighter at his praise. "Was anything else found?"

Yukio shook her head. "No sir."

"Hm-mm..."

It seemed that Dale pulled one over on him, giving him a half-truth. The Wendigo was indeed in a cage but not a cage located within The Facility it seems. He addressed the two young-women.

"I want the both of you to return to Isaiah and inform him to take our guest to the surface. While he's doing that, I want the two of you to start setting up explosive charges. We're going to bury this place."

The two nodded, but before they could turn around and complete the order, he stopped them.

"I also want you to keep an eye out for a cage with a creature inside of it."

The two females looked at each other in confusion, and then at him. "Sir?"

"The lead researcher informed me that they created a creature, and that they currently have it locked up in a cage." he said. "Though the location is unknown. Which is why I want the two of you to be on the lookout for it. Look for anything suspicious. Who knows where they could have hidden it."

The two nodded. "Yes sir."

Naruto turned his attention to the only subordinate still left, Fury. The one-eyed man had subtly been ordered to remain outside of the office after he brought the scientists in.

"Nick."

"Sir?"

"Load up the scientists aboard the cargo plane." he ordered. "If need be, have Terrence assist you."

Fury looked inside of the room, and down at the unconscious bodies of the scientists. He couldn't help but wonder just how the man had accomplished such a feat. Or why he chose to hide his abilities. It wasn't his place to question him, but damn if he wasn't curious. He hoped to find out one day. He began to gather the men and women.

Watching his last subordinate get to work, he did the same. Pulling out two scrolls, he placed them on the ground, and then walked over to the filing cabinets in the room. There was still valuable intel inside of them. Once he was sure Fury was away, he picked up one of them, sat it down, and sealed it away. He would rejoin his team, and help, once he finished.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

"Is everyone aboard?" asked the blonde. "We didn't forget anything, or anyone did we?"

It was a rhetorical question. The group of five had loaded up all of the unconscious scientists, the tank holding Thundra, and then detonated the explosives, killing, or burying, anything that remained behind in The Facility. Which was only one thing. The Wendigo. Neither female had located it's cage. Instead of letting it die slowly over the years, they decided a quick death was more suitable. Everyone gave him a nod, which he reciprocated.

"Let's go home, Terrence!"

The pilot heard the order over the radio, and gave him a thumbs up. Unfortunately, as the engines were revving, and before an inch could be taken forward, the entirety of the plane shook, nearly knocking it over on it's side.

"What the hell was that!?"

Naruto and his team ignored Terrence's cries as they unstrapped themselves from their harnesses, and exited the hangar door to see what hit them. The group stopped dead in their tracks the moment they saw the assailant. It was an animal, that was for sure, though none recorded in the books. None except the blonde knew what it was. Monica and Yukio appeared to have an inkling as their last conversation with the director came to the forefront of their minds.

"I wonder what it is?" asked Isaiah, staring at the creature.

"Wendigo..."

"That answer your question." remarked Naruto, taking in the full form of the man-made creature. It was big, no doubt about that. If he had to guess, he would say it stood at just under ten feet, and looked to weigh just under a ton, what with all that muscle on it's frame.

"What's the plan?"

"We immobilize it, and then remove it's head." ordered one half of the original super-soldiers. "On my mark..."

Naruto added chakra to his eyes, activating his sharingan, but then continued to add more, activating his mangekyō. The second his eyes transformed from their normal blue to red, the Wendigo shot off like a gun. Surprising everyone with it's speed.

"Move!"

The group of four heard the order, and jumped out of the way, leaving the Wendigo on a crash course with the director. Naruto's red eyes met with the Wendigo's own for the briefest of seconds, and it came to a grinding halt. Not sure what had just occurred, the others

"Attack!"

Not sure what had just occurred, the four were spurred to life by the blonde's voice, and they began to attack. Fury began to pump the creature full of bullets, aiming for vital and sensitive spots. Yukio and Monica were of like mind, as they used their own ninja tools, given to them by Naruto, to attack any of it's weak points. None of their weapons were having any effect. It's skin was either to rough, and their weapons kept breaking, or it would simply heal to fast to really inflict any lasting damage.

"Wendigo!"

' _Dammit!'_

Naruto didn't anticipate his illusion being broken so fast, though in hindsight he should have. It's mind was now more animal than human, and animals had more acute senses when it came to their own surroundings. They had to if they wanted to survive out in the wild.

Isaiah had seen the look on Nate's face, and knew that whatever it was that he had just done to stop the monster from moving wasn't working anymore. So, instead of going with the pummeling he'd initially planned on giving it, he would now need to be the one who immobilized it. Using what speed the serum gave him, he quickly got behind the creature, and using his super-strength, wrapped his arms around it.

"Whatever it is you guys are gonna do, I suggest you get to it!" he shouted, already feeling his steel-like grip slackening.

Fury, Monica, and Yukio continued with their original assault, though each made sure not to hit their own teammate in the process. Seeing that nothing they did worked, Naruto decided it was time to use his newest kōdachi's. The Totsuka-no-Tsurugi, and the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. The blades were given to him by Susanoo and Amaterasu. Not because he was their champion, but because of his initial request of them. When he could have had anything, he chose to have his child back. That was why.

The two blades were similar to those that he wielded while in The Hand, the only difference between the two was the material they were crafted from. Adamantium. Though that was not all that was special about them. They had also been enchanted, though with what he did not know. He was sure the Shintō Kami would inform him one day. When it was convenient for them.

"I'm losing it!"

Isaiah's voice snapped him out of his reminiscing just as the man had lost his hold on the Wendigo, and was subsequently kicked into a bushel of trees. The creature then began to advance on the rest of his team. Not about to let anything happen to them, he raised one of his blades, like a javelin, and threw it. He watched as it sailed through the air, and watched in satisfaction as it pierced the Wendigo's tough exterior. Unfortunately, while he had injured it, it wasn't slowing down. If anything, he just seems to have made it angrier.

He withheld a sigh. It seems that he has no other choice, and would have to reveal a bit of what he had learned over in Japan. It's not that he wasn't confident he couldn't do it, he just didn't want to reveal this new form of combat. He wanted to keep some things close to the vest. Sheathing his kōdachi onto his back, his hands then began to run through a series of strange motions.

 **"** _ **Doton: Doryūsō (Earth Flow Spears)"**_

The earth beneath the Wendigo began to rumble before numerous spears erupted from the ground, all of them piercing the creature, immobilizing it. It howled in pain, and tried it's hardest to destroy that which caused it pain. It would have succeeded in doing so if not for Naruto, who suddenly appeared in front of it, his blade out of it's sheathe, and in mid-swing.

"Wen-"

The angry, pain filled roar died in it's throat as it's head was removed clean from it's shoulders, and sent flying into the forest. The battle was over before it had even truly ever begun.

Naruto let out the breath he had been holding, and looked at his team. "Are any of you hurt?"

All four of them were looking at him with shock and awe, and had somehow managed to shake their heads. They were all okay. He nodded in return, and walked over to the dead Wendigo. He removed his blade from it's torso.

Isaiah was the first to snap out of his awe, and confronted his friend. "...Nate. What the hell what that just now?" he questioned, never having seen anything like that before in his life.

The other three soon snapped out of their own stupor by this point, heard the question, and waited for the answer. The blonde eyed each of them for a moment, weighing his options.

"...I'm not going into specifics of how I acquired this power, all the three of you need to know is that I am the only person who can do these things."

Yukio and Monica accepted his answer, and moved on. The programmers in the Red Room would often discuss with them the importance of keeping one's secrets, so they understood where he was coming from. Fury gave him a look of suspicion, and intrigue. Both of which he had seen on the man's face before. It was however the look of betrayal on Isaiah's face though that truly made him feel like scum. He hated seeing those he cared for hurt, and by his hands no less. Still, there were somethings that he would not, could not, talk about, with anyone. No matter how close a friend anyone was. The two men eventually joined Monica and Yukio in acceptance, and moved on.

"What was it you said anyways?" inquired Yukio, with Monica right behind her, also curious. "It isn't a language we're familiar with, but it also sounded vaguely familiar. Is it Japanese, or Chinese?"

"It's neither." he answered. "It's more akin to a dead language, and let's leave it at that." he said, and the two nodded. He then addressed the four of them as a whole. "I want the four of you to return and inspect the plane. If it's still in flying condition, then have Terrence have it ready by the time I return."

"Where are you going?" inquired Isaiah.

"I'm going to dispose of the Wendigo's body."

Seeing his subordinates nod and start to walk away, he called forth a blazing inferno from deep within himself, and lit the corpse ablaze, leaving nothing but ash and bone. Once he was finished, he doused the flames, and went in search of the head. It took him a few seconds, but he located it. He repeated the same process once more, leaving ash and bone. With his task now complete, he began to make his way back to the plane when he suddenly stopped. His primal instinct flared.

' _Something is watching me...'_

Activating his sharingan, he subtly began to search for the source of his uneasiness when he spotted a pair of blood red eyes looking right back at him from the shadows of the evening sun. It didn't take him long to realize what he was facing.

' _Well, I'll be damned. It seems the legends of the Wendigo are true after all.'_

That being said, there was a stark difference to the one he had just killed, and the one he was having a face-off with. Experience. Just one look in it's eyes told him that. This Wendigo has been around for a very long time, and would be extremely hard to kill. Subtly reaching for his kōdachi's, he stopped short of the hilts when he spotted movement beside the creature. Three more pairs of red eyes were looking down at him, yet none made a move to attack.

He was positive he could take them all if need be, but since they had yet to act, he decided it was better to retreat for the moment. Slowly, he began to backpedal from whence he came but stiffened for the slightest of moments when a large hand emerged from the forest, but not towards him. It went for the skull of the man-made Wendigo. Realizing they only wanted that, he began his retreat again before he was out.

"What took you so long?" asked Monica.

Before he could answer her, the duo, along with the others, heard a roar emanate from the forest.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." he answered. "Are we good to go?"

Terrence gave him a thumbs up.

"Then let's get the hell outta here." he said, entering the plane, followed by everyone else.

Rhodes couldn't agree more, and slowly began to rev up the engines before the plane began to move forward, slowly gaining momentum. Naruto looked out the small window next to him, and down at the forest as it kept getting smaller and smaller.

' _I can't let those creatures roam unchecked anymore, not when there are people living out here. I need to get a team together and have them come back to take care of them.'_

With that in mind, he settled back down onto his seat, and began to plan just how he was going to go about doing this.

* * *

– _**Three Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **May 20th, 1949**_

"I should've listened to Stark..." muttered the blonde for the umpteenth time.

Naruto was currently stranded. The single seat plane he'd been piloting suddenly hit a magnetic force field of some sort, and he was forced into an emergency landing. He let out a sigh.

"At least I'm where I want to be."

He was currently in the coldest, driest, and windiest continent on planet earth, Antarctica. Or so people were fooled into believing. There just happened to be one area, so secret, that even time itself seemed to have forgotten it.

The Savage Land.

It was a place that shouldn't exist, yet it continued to. Lush jungle as far as the eye could see. He had even seen some dinosaurs roaming around! He shook his head. He wasn't here to sight see. There was a mission that needed to be accomplished.

This fantasy island was first mentioned in a few files he'd seen in the filing cabinets he had taken from Department K. They also mentioned a scientist, a nobleman named Dr. Robert Plunder. Though that was about it. However, the files did often mention a discovery made by the nobleman, something they referred to as Anti-metal. There wasn't much intel on the metal, but what there was didn't sound good.

Wanting to learn as much as he could, he sought the nobleman out. Unfortunately, life had a very funny way of complicating things. The man, along with most of his family, were dead. Had been since before the end of the war. The lone exception to this was the man's oldest son, Kevin. Though he was currently missing at the moment. Normally, his organization wasn't responsible for missing persons, unless it was someone very important, but he decided to make an exception this time. He was glad he did, or else he may not have found this place.

However, in coming here, Kevin had also inadvertently led the people who killed his family, Hydra, as well. He was unsure of the connection between Kevin and Hydra, but he had to assume they were after him because he still knew some valuable information. Or he was in cahoots with them, and this was all some elaborate ruse to kill him. There was only way to find out. He would have to find Kevin and then ask him. If he was still alive in this place that is. In the short amount of time since he was forced out of the sky, and crash landed, he had already located the dead bodies of several Hydra agents, along with several Nazi U-boats.

' _It seems Hitler and Johann were of a like mind when it came to this place.'_

Naruto suddenly sighed. He couldn't lie here. Yes, he was here to acquire the Anti-metal and place it under SHIELD's control, and yes, he was here searching for Kevin Plunder. That was not all however. Aside from the two aforementioned subjects, he was also here on a personal matter. He was here to search for his brother, Steve. He knew his plane crashed in the Southern Ocean, and while he knew the possibility of locating him was slim, he still had to try. Who knows? Maybe his brother washed ashore here.

* * *

 _ **~Two Weeks Later~**_

Naruto let out a sigh, again. So far, the search for his brother had yet to yield any results. Nor had his search for Kevin Plunder, and it wasn't for a lack of trying either. It was more akin to the Savage Land being to big for one man to search. That, and he was running out of food. He had tried foraging for his food, but since he didn't recognize any of the flora, or fruits, he didn't know what was edible and what wasn't. The vegetation here was just as dangerous as the animals.

If it wasn't for the fact that he was running out of food, he would have stayed here for as long as could. To search for his family. However, as it stood, he only had about a week's worth of food left, and it was dwindling. Aside from foraging, he'd also tried fixing the beacon in the plane. That plan lasted all of a few seconds. Every piece of electronic equipment was fried thanks to the magnetic forces surrounding the area.

His only hope for survival, extraction, and finding his family and missing person, along with the Anti-metal, resided in the large, man-made, structure a few yards in front of him. It stood over a hundred feet tall, and it resembled the ancient pyramids of Egypt.

He first spotted the structure within a couple of days of his emergency landing, but steered clear of it like the plague. Naruto didn't know if the people who had built it were friendly or not, so he decided to stay away. Now though, he was out of options, and was forced to seek them out.

' _I hope there's actually someone still alive inside.'_ he thought. _'Or else I'm screwed beyond belief.'_

As he slowly grew closer to the pyramid, he began to scan the surrounding area for any traps when he suddenly heard something whiz past him. It was a voice.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Instinct took over, as he did not like disembodied voices, and he jumped back. His kōdachi's were out of their sheathes, ready to attack the source.

"Oh, and just what are you going to do with those?" asked the voice, amused. "Besides make us mad."

Naruto frowned. He heard the plural meaning in the voice's last statement. He was really wishing he had brought back up now. Damn his sentimental feelings. His ears twitched, and he looked towards the entrance of the pyramid, grimacing. Out from inside the structure emerged six figures. Three of them female, and three of them male.

"Our friend asked you a question, stranger." said one of the three males, a blonde, blue eyed, man very much like himself.

"...To defend myself if need be."

"Really? Defend yourself using those sticks. Ha!" One of the three females reared her head back in laughter. "...I haven't laughed that hard in a millennium. Just who can I thank for that."

The frown on the blonde's face grew. He wasn't thrown off by her admitting such a detail, but the fact that they were as old as the Shintō Kami, or as old as Brünhilde and the Asgardians, did cause him to tense. Who knew what sort of power they had? He would need to tread very carefully here.

"...Isn't it customary for the party asking for identity to identify themselves first."

The five individuals at the entrance looked to one another, and shrugged. The first to step forward was a beautiful woman of what appeared to be Asian descent. Her beauty was not all that he noticed. She was also lacking clothes, though one couldn't tell she was naked by the large tattoo covering most of her body. Was she a pervert perhaps?

"My name is Suyin King, but my enemies know me as Chi Demon." introduced the woman as she left her threat hanging in the air.

The next to step forward was one of the men. He looked far older than the rest, though that may be due to his facial hair, bald head, and the markings on his face.

"My name is Phastos."

"The names Makkari."

There it was again! Naruto heard the voice whiz past him. Adding chakra to his eyes, he surveyed the area but found nothing. Adding even more chakra, he activated his mangekyō, and there he was. It was a man, who was simply running around.

"Bout time you noticed me." said the amused speedster. "Interesting eyes, freaky, but interesting."

"Enough fooling around, Makkari." spoke one of the unnamed females. This one was also blonde and blue eyed. She was the only one currently wearing armor. She was also the only one with weapons on her person. A spear and a shield. She addressed him. "My former name is Azura, but you may refer to me as Thena."

"As in the Greek goddess?"

The woman in gold armor shook her head. "No. I am not a goddess. I am an Eternal."

That tidbit of information threw the blonde for a loop. _'Eternal?'_ What the heck were they? Before he could ask a question, the last two introduced themselves finally. The man similar to him in looks went first, followed closely by the woman.

"Ikaris."

"Sersi."

"Now that you know who we are, who are you?" asked Ikaris.

"...Naruto Uzumaki." answered the super-soldier.

"Go ahead and speak your question, Uzumaki." said Thena, having seen it on the cusp of his lips just as he was interrupted earlier.

"What is an Eternal?"

"We are an offshoot of humanity, created a million years ago." answered Thena.

"I see." He really didn't, as he now had more questions than before. He had at first believed the gods and goddesses of the pantheons to be offshoots, but now there actually were! He wanted to ask another question, about them, but nothing came to mind. So, he decided to ask a different question. "Are you a threat?" As leader of SHIELD he had to know.

"Only to those whom we deem our enemies. Why, are you an enemy?" inquired Thena.

He shook his head.

"I don't know about that." said Sersi, taking an interest in this conversation, and in the man in front of her. "I can feel the enormous power dwelling inside of him. His power is similar to those of the Shintō Kami." she said, and then looked at him. "Are you a Demigod of some sort?"

Technically, even he still didn't know what he was, but he wasn't going to let her, or them, know that. So he simply nodded, giving her the answer she desired.

Ikaris suddenly let out a sigh. "Thena, Sersi." The two females looked at their leader. "Why do the two of you feel the need to explain our history, and interrogate, this man?"

Thena was about to answer her leader, but Sersi beat her to the punch. "Does it really matter? It's not like anyone is going to believe him if he blabs. Besides, we can always erase his memories." she said nonchalantly. "It's not like he's a threat to us."

"Hm-mm..." hummed Phastos, making a noise for the first time. "Perhaps not power-wise, but I would rather not engage a man that has two blades enchanted with Celestial technology." he said. He was a master weapon-smith, and had he not recognized the blades for what they were, then he was sorely in need of more training.

Not a second after mentioning that particular technology, the other five Eternals tensed, and began to gather ridiculous amounts of energy, and all of it was being directed at him. Naruto quickly opened his mouth to speak, hoping his words swayed them from their impending actions.

"I did not come here seeking battle!" he shouted. "Nor did I come seeking new enemies!" He held his hands up in the air. As much as he believed in his abilities, even he could not fight five people as strong as those in front of him. "I simply came here in search of something called Anti-metal, and two missing people!"

Ikaris stared at his blonde counterpart long and hard, trying to discern if he was speaking the truth or a lie, until he raised his hand, quelling the violent storm waiting to be unleashed. "Just how did you come to acquire such weapons?" he finally asked.

"They were given to me as gifts from the Shintō Kami."

The blonde Eternal nodded slowly, processing this new information. "I see." he said, and then looked back at him. "I will not deign as to why they gave them to you, as that is your business alone, but be warned. Those weapons you wield were created to kill beings of cosmic power, you possessing them will not go unnoticed by the powers that-be."

Naruto didn't like the sound of that ominous warning. He knew these blades were powerful, how could they not be when they came from a god and goddess, but not to the degree Ikaris was making them out to be. Just who was the Shintō pantheon waiting to do battle with that they had such weapons. Could it be the Celestials they mentioned? Or is it perhaps another threat? The blonde man opposite him didn't really specify, as the term cosmic was a broad one.

"Who are these missing people you seek?" inquired Sersi, changing the subject.

"My sibling, Steven Rogers, and a missing young-man, no older than eighteen, named Kevin Plunder."

"I'm afraid we know nothing of this Steven Rogers, or Kevin Plunder." said Makkari. "I should know as I've traversed these lands more than anyone, just did a few seconds ago, and I didn't see or hear of anyone speaking such names. I only came across the natives of these lands."

"Are you sure? Maybe you missed-"

"I didn't." interrupted the speedster. "Trust me."

"I'm sorry you traveled a long way only to find nothing, but when my friend says he found nothing, he means it." stated Ikaris, having seen the doubtful look on Naruto's face.

Naruto sighed. "I see." Well, there went his hopes of having those within the pyramid help him find his brother and Kevin.

"You said you were here for Anti-metal, correct?" inquired Sersi, not enjoying the depressing mood at the moment.

The shinobi nodded. "I am. Do you know where I may locate it?" he asked. Hopefully she did and his entire trip wouldn't be a total bust.

Thena answered, giving him an iffy motion. "Some may still be found out in the wild, but it's going to be very hard to locate. Especially nowadays."

"Why's that?"

"Because we've gathered every last ounce we could locate, and stored it within our home." answered Sersi.

The super-soldier eyed the pyramid behind the six Eternals. "I see, and what would it take to acquire some?"

"Nothing. It is not for sale nor are we bartering." answered Thena. She knew just how volatile even a fraction of that metal was, and this man wanted to no doubt return to the outside world with some. It was a disaster just waiting to happen.

"Surely there must be something you want? Perhaps a wager?"

"She already said-"

Sersi interrupted Ikaris before he could finish his statement.

"What would you propose?" she asked, intrigued.

Seeing as he had nothing to offer but the clothes on his back, and his weapons, which he was not about to offer, he didn't really have anything. So, he went with something logical.

"A spar?"

Just like that, all of the intrigue, and mystery, on her face was gone. "Oh, a spar. How mundane." she said, and began to walk away from him, and back into her home.

Naruto was confused. 'What just happened?'

"Don't dwell on it much, Uzumaki." spoke Ikaris. "Out of the six of us, Sersi is by far the most curious and it is because of that curiously that she constantly aims to seek out new experiences. We as a race have fought countless battles, and another just isn't an exciting prospect, for her or the rest of us."

The director of SHIELD let out a sigh. He was just about ready to accept the outcome when he was hit with an idea. One that would allow him to kill two birds with one stone.

"If none of you want to spar with some Anti-metal on the line, how about a membership?"

"Oh, to what kind of club?" inquired Makkari, the most adventurous among the six Eternals.

"After certain events in Canada three years ago, I've been trying to put together a team to track, and hunt, monsters of myth." said the blonde shinobi. "I already have one member, and I'm currently on the lookout for more."

"Monster Hunters huh..." mused the speedster. "Is that the name of the group? Who'd be in charge if I joined? Do I know the person currently on the team?"

"I suppose if the name fits..." mumbled the blonde. "Technically, since I'm putting the team together, I would be in charge, but as an overseer. Once the team is complete however, the group will follow the directions of the group leader, who will be chosen out of those on the team."

"And the only member?"

Naruto shrugged. "Don't know how I'm supposed to know if you know him. I certainly didn't. I met him last year." he revealed. "His name is Anthony Druid, but he goes by Dr. Druid. He's a mystic."

"Hm-mm, and all you want in return for this is some metal, right?"

The super-soldier shinobi nodded. Makkari nodded as well, and stuck his hand out.

"You've got yourself a deal." The deal was final. However, before the speedster could show his new friend his metal, Phastos stopped them.

"This is a warning to the both of you, more so you to you, Makkari." said the older man. "As you know the capabilities of this metal. Whatever comes from this deal between the two of you will be on your heads." he said, and walked away. As the weapon-smith, he wanted nothing to do with this deal.

Makkari was grimacing now. He made the deal on a whim because he wanted out of the Savage Land. The blonde in front of him had given him the perfect reason to leave. Now he was having doubts. He looked at the blonde.

"What did you say you needed the metal for? And how much of it?"

"I didn't say, but if it gives you peace of mind, then I'll let you know." said Naruto. "I want to create a weapon from the Anti-metal. Specifically a kusarigama. If you need a reference, then I'll gladly give you one. As for how much metal it'll require, well, that's depends on the size I want." Naruto unsealed the standard size sickle and chain. "I want something a little bit bigger than this." He saw the grimace on Makkari's face. "Do we still have a deal?"

The speedy Eternal didn't answer for a few seconds, contemplating what to say.

"...What about a compromise?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to frown. "What sort?"

"Instead of crafting an entire weapon of Anti-metal, I have Phastos craft you something else with a different metal." he said. "Or we coat your current weapon in Anti-metal. It won't be as strong as if it were entirely made of the substance, but it'll still be a nasty surprise for anyone fighting it. What do you think?"

The blonde super-soldier remained silent, and was wondering if this was a good idea or not.

"You have to understand, Uzumaki. If even just a small, concentrated, piece of this metal vibrates out in a town, city, or any populated area, it will destabilize the molecular bonds in other metals." he said.

Naruto knew the Eternal was speaking the truth since he didn't really have a reason to lie. Well, there went his plan for killing two birds with one stone. He let out a sigh. Something was better than nothing.

"What other metals do you have?"

Makkari breathed easier, and began to list off what they had in stock, and stopped when he reached a certain one. "You want something made of Vibranium?"

The lone shinobi nodded. "Yes, but if I may, can I also have my kusarigama coated in Anti-metal?"

"Hm-mm, I don't see why not." said Makkari. "It'll be a token of our new friendship. Now, what do you want made of Vibranium?"

"My combat gear." answered Naruto. "Years ago, I met a man in Wakanda who wore an entire suit of the stuff. I want that." He hadn't found out it was Vibranium until he became director of SHIELD. The files of Howard Stark were quite detailed on certain individuals.

"You'll have to be a bit more specific of what exactly, but we can figure that out inside. C'mon, follow me." Naruto nodded, and began to follow the speedster.

"Not to sound rude or anything, but is there a way to leave the Savage Land?" inquired Naruto. "My plane crashed over two weeks ago, and I don't have a way to get home."

The Eternal waved his concern off. "Don't worry about that. I can carry you, or one of the others can fly you home. You can leave anytime. So for now, let's just take our time and make sure we create what you want to exact detail."

The director of SHIELD nodded. "I guess a few more days here won't kill me."

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Eight**_

* * *

 _ **Just want to make one thing clear. The serums Fury and Isaiah took. They were imperfect. They will only have certain abilities compared to what the full scope of a completed serum would usually give a person. Like the one Naruto and Steve took.**_

* * *

 _ **REVIEW**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Here's the ninth chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

" _...What about a compromise?"_

 _Now it was Naruto's turn to frown. "What sort?"_

" _Instead of crafting an entire weapon of Anti-metal, I have Phastos craft you something else with a different metal." he said. "Or we coat your current weapon in Anti-metal. It won't be as strong as if it were entirely made of the substance, but it'll still be a nasty surprise for anyone fighting it. What do you think?"_

 _The blonde super-soldier remained silent, and was wondering if this was a good idea or not._

" _You have to understand, Uzumaki. If even just a small, concentrated, piece of this metal vibrates out in a town, city, or any populated area, it will destabilize the molecular bonds in other metals." he said._

 _Naruto knew the Eternal was speaking the truth since he didn't really have a reason to lie. Well, there went his plan for killing two birds with one stone. He let out a sigh. Something was better than nothing._

" _What other metals do you have?"_

 _Makkari breathed easier, and began to list off what they had in stock, and stopped when he reached a certain one. "You want something made of Vibranium?"_

 _The lone shinobi nodded. "Yes, but if I may, can I also have my kusarigama coated in Anti-metal?"_

" _Hm-mm, I don't see why not." said Makkari. "It'll be a token of our new friendship. Now, what do you want made of Vibranium?"_

" _My combat gear." answered Naruto. "Years ago, I met a man in Wakanda who wore an entire suit of the stuff. I want that." He hadn't found out it was Vibranium until he became director of SHIELD. The files of Howard Stark were quite detailed on certain individuals._

" _You'll have to be a bit more specific of what exactly, but we can figure that out inside. C'mon, follow me." Naruto nodded, and began to follow the speedster._

" _Not to sound rude or anything, but is there a way to leave the Savage Land?" inquired Naruto. "My plane crashed over two weeks ago, and I don't have a way to get home."_

 _The Eternal waved his concern off. "Don't worry about that. I can carry you, or one of the others can fly you home. You can leave anytime. So for now, let's just take our time and make sure we create what you want to exact detail."_

 _The director of SHIELD nodded. "I guess a few more days here won't kill me."_

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Five Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **November 2nd, 1954**_

"How about trying to fly a bit smoother, Terrence?"

The pilot heard the suggestion over the radio. "Not my fault there's turbulence, boss." radioed in the man flying. "Just try and go back to sleep." advised Terrence. "Because once we reach our destination in a few hours, the sun will be up, and any chance of getting more sleep will be long gone."

The blonde director sighed. He had been asleep for the past five hours or so when the plane he was in suddenly seemed to hit a speed bump in the middle of the sky. He would try to follow the man's sound advice, but it was going to be a difficult task to accomplish. Not when he had so much currently on his mind. He wasn't out here flying just for the hell of it, far from it. He was out here on a mission, but not for SHIELD. It was for Howard Stark. The genius creator had asked a favor of him, and from what he was told, it was a personal one.

Apparently, the man had received a transmission of some sort from another scientist, one whom Stark moderately respected enough to even listen to. The scientist in question is a man named Miles Warren. The man had informed Stark that he needed help leaving his current whereabouts as he wished to come back home, to America. If that hadn't been enough motivation to get Stark moving, then the next piece of intel did. Turns out, there's another scientist with Warren, one whom Stark actually holds respect for. He also somewhat considered this person a friend as well. His name is Herbert Wyndham.

So here he was, thousands of miles up in the sky, heading to a small village at the base of some sacred mountain called Wundagore, which was located in the small nation of Sokovia. All so he could retrieve two men.

' _The things I do for friends.'_

Shifting his thoughts on the mission aside for a moment, he looked at the other passengers on the plane with him. He subtly watched the three he had chosen for this mission sleep like babies, not one of them roused from their slumber after the turbulence. If he could be honest for a minute, he was still debating bringing along two of his choices, mostly because it wasn't their type of mission, not because he didn't trust them. Then again, he would rather have them here, with him, where he could keep an eye on each of them, rather than back in New York, unsupervised.

The first of the two whom he was speaking about was one of the Eternal women he had met just over five years ago. Sersi. A small smile adorned his face as he looked at her, one of his friends.

' _To think it's been that long since I first met her and the other Eternals.'_

One-thousand eight hundred and twenty-five days had come and gone since Naruto had first visited the Savage Land, and had his Vibranium gear created, along with having his kusarigama coated in a thin layer of Anti-metal. It had actually been during the creation of his gear that the woman had first heard of the agreement between he and Makkari, and she wanted in. Only difference, she didn't want to hunt supernatural monsters.

Hell, she didn't really want to fight anyone, but said she would if it meant she could leave the Savage Land to experience the outside world once more. No sooner had he heard those words did Naruto know an opportunity had come a knockin. One that he capitalized on. Once she had agreed to the deal he had offered her, along with his conditions, and once Ikaris had given his approval, she ventured back into the concrete jungle with him. Since then, the Eternal woman has been an invaluable member of his organization, even if she wasn't official.

Being the resident powerhouse of the organization, Sersi came in quite handy last year. Brünhilde, his friend, suddenly showed up one day out of the blue requesting that he help her, and her comrades, with a problem of theirs. That problem was a man named John Dark, who had not only built a mechanical army to fight for him, but a black mist that Valkyrie referred to as the Creeping Death. Which was aptly named as it consumed all it enveloped.

The smile on his face grew as he thought about Brünhilde. Even after nearly nine years of not seeing one another since their first and last encounter, she still considered him a precious friend, and one she genuinely cared about. At the time, he couldn't understand how someone could still care so strongly for someone when they haven't had contact in so long, but he soon learned how. He found out, from her own mouth, that with the help of another Asgardian, Heimdall, she had been able to witness everything that had happened to him since they separated back in '45. Which meant she had witnessed his triumph over Kaguya, his greatest achievement, and his attempt to save his infant, his greatest failure.

After learning all of that, well, he had grown silent. He couldn't even look at her, and he wasn't sure if it was because he was disappointed in her for spying on him, or embarrassed because she had to see him like that. Either way, she apologized afterwards. Her intention was not to upset him by bringing up his painful past, but to tell him that she was there for him if he ever just wanted to talk. All he had to do was say her name, and Heimdall would see it. Her approach could have been better, but she had gotten her point across.

He of course thanked her for the thought, but he wanted to move away from his past, so he asked who her comrades were? Taking his question as his agreement to join her, she propped him atop her flying horse, and they were off. Along the way she informed him of who he would be fighting alongside of. The first two were personal friends of hers, Thor and Lady Sif. The other two were from the Olympian pantheon, Athena and Ares. He hadn't bothered asking how she had gotten the latter two, as he was sure it would probably lead to her retelling a ridiculous story, so he simply nodded.

Sersi, not one to back down, and a bit insulted she was ignored by the goddess, followed after them. Not one to turn away help, Brünhilde quickly accepted the Eternal woman when she learned she was with him. He couldn't help but chuckle as he remembered the grimace on Sersi's face when she found out Athena and Ares were going to be present. While there was no conflict between Eternals and those of Olympus, there was a fair bit of jealousy though, mostly coming from the Olympians. Many mortals often mistook certain Eternals for Olympic gods and goddesses.

That being said, he still kept a close eye on Sersi, and Athena, ready to step-in and do whatever it was he could to stop a fight from breaking out between the two. Speaking of the fight, it went as expected. Brünhilde and her group wrecked shop, with Athena landing the killing blow on the man. He and Thor meanwhile had been put in charge of stopping the Creeping Death, and they had, with a combination lightning attack, which dispersed the black , he didn't know why Valkyrie needed his help when she had such powerful friends, but she had asked, and he always helped a friend.

Moving on from the Eternal, his eyes landed on the sleeping form of the only person he had not had a debate with himself about bringing. It was someone he had been searching for since the end of the war and since SHIELD's inception. It was his old trainer, Adriana Soria.

It turned out that the woman had been in his own backyard, but she had been buried so deep within the system that it had taken him years to locate her. She had been admitted into a government run mental institute for soldiers who suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The reason she was in there was because she killed a superior officer during the war. At the onset, he had no clue as to why it was a mental institute and not a prison, but after he had gotten her out, and she awoke from the medically induced coma the personnel had placed her in, he knew why.

Hydra.

After undergoing Operation: Crossroads, and adjusting to her newfound abilities, she came to learn that the organization experimenting on her, AIM, was in fact a splinter group of Hydra. Unfortunately for her, she realized this to late and was not only setup for a crime she did not commit, but diagnosed with PTSD, thus allowing AIM to lock her away. Doing the only thing she knew how to do before they put her away, Adriana began to kill them, and she would have killed them all if not for the interference of one man. Someone that she didn't know, but he did.

Baron Wolfgang von Strucker.

Naruto recognized the man based on the description Adriana had painted for him. The man in question used to be the second-in-command of Hydra when Johann was around, but eventually had a falling out with his Führer, because of his many losses. He remembered thinking it was propaganda when papers were printing that Hitler killed one of his top men out of rage of them losing the war. Turns out it was. The man was alive and kicking.

After learning all of this from Adriana, he had sent Peggy, along with the Howling Commandos, to go and investigate this institute. He was hopeful they would find something which would led him straight to the man. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Many of the 'employees' who worked there, and who had been charged with taking care of his old trainer, suddenly up and vanished one day. Coincidence? He thinks not.

However, despite the institute posing a major problem for him, it wasn't his biggest, not by a long shot. The implications the institute represented were far bigger. Hydra had infiltrated the government of the United States of America. The only two questions on his mind were where, and how high up?

Those were the questions that kept repeating over and over in his head, and while it had been some time since then, he did have some answers. As insubstantial as they were. Turns out that while he had been wary of bringing in scientists from the war, other branches of the American military were not. He knew he was being somewhat unfair here, as he was sure that ninety percent of those brought in were good people, but it was the other ten percent that worried him. So now, on top of everything already on his plate, he now had to subtly spy on his own government, and that was one mission that would take him a very, very, long time. He let out a sigh.

Moving on from Adriana, and the problems he had found when he found her, he looked at to the last member of his team. The other he had debated with himself about bringing on this mission. It was Thundra. The woman whom was in the large gestation tank, whom he had eventually freed two years prior.

It had taken quite an effort to hold her down once she had been released and come to, thrashing about and whatnot. Though he had to imagine waking up in an unfamiliar place, to people you did not know probably helped with that. After casting a calming illusion on her, and informing her he was there to help her, she began to settle down. He, very carefully, began to question her on what she remembered. He already knew the answer, as he'd read her file, but the brain was a mysterious organ at times, and who knows, she might have remembered.

It went mostly as expected. She couldn't remember a thing of her past, except for one tidbit of info. She told him that while she dreamt, she would often keep seeing the face of a man, and two little ones by his legs, and all of them were smiling at her. She told him that seeing them made her smile, and it gave her a strange feeling in her chest.

Naruto didn't visibly frown, but he did on the inside, feeling sorry for the woman. He obviously knew it was her subconscious showing her these images, and that feeling in her chest was love. The love of a mother for her husband and children, but what could he tell her? That the life she was viewing was all but gone? That it had been erased by people looking to use her as a weapon?

He momentarily paused in his ruminations, let out a sigh he had been holding, and rubbed his face. He looked at Thundra again.

' _Sometimes, I hate the fact I took this job. The things I've had to do...'_

He could have told her the truth, about what happened to her and her nonexistent past, but the chances she became an emotional wreck were to high for his liking. Especially with the amount of power in her body. Who knew what she would do. So, he swallowed hard, and went with plan B. Lie. Even though it was for the betterment of Thundra, he still felt like a piece of scum for doing it.

He told her that she was born in an alternate universe opposite of theirs, and one that had been dying for a long time, and that has since died, leaving only her as the lone survivor. She took it in stride, but then asked about the man and children. His frown stretched further as he explained that the man and children were her family, but one that did not make it to this universe. They had perished in the other.

He further added to the lie by telling her he had witnessed her come through a portal unconscious, as her husband was on the otherside. Her husband asked him to protect her, and just before he died, he gave him her name. Thundra merely nodded, and then asked to be left alone. He consented and abruptly left the room, and the moment he did, he heard the sobs coming from the otherside, making him feel even worse.

"...Boss!"

"Huh? What's going on?"

"I said our eta is ten minutes." answered Terrence, having been calling him numerous times. "And if you can start waking the others."

Naruto shook his head, and then looked at his watch. It seemed the hours had just flown by while he had been lost in his thoughts of the past. He sighed, and radioed in, telling Terrence he copied.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

The group of four had been dropped off in a small clearing, near the small mountain village, and the moment they entered said village, they drew all sorts of looks, which is understandable. They had a giantess, a woman who was dressed in a skintight black suit, with green gloves and high thigh boots. Not to mention he was in his combat gear sans the mask. The only normal among them was Adriana.

That being said, they just ignored the looks, and were on the lookout for an inn to stay in since they didn't know how long this mission would take. He had invited Terrence to join them, but the man had refused, stating he felt more comfortable sleeping in his plane. Neither he, nor any of the ladies, felt it was weird for him to say that, after all, who knows when you'd have to make an emergency exit.

"Look, over there." Everyone looked to where Adriana was pointing. It was an inn, but also appeared to be a bar. "Maybe they'll have a few rooms."

Naruto could only hope. The group entered the foreign establishment, and the second they entered, they immediately took a liking to the atmosphere the place gave off. It felt homely. He left the trio of women to talk amongst themselves and approached the front desk.

"Excuse me?" he called out, using the country's native language. An elderly looking man approached him.

"Yes? How may I help you?"

"Do you have any rooms left?" he asked, pointing to himself and his companions.

"Four all four?"

The blonde looked at the man dumbfounded. Did he not just point to himself and the others? Shaking his head, he gave the man a nod. His hopes were slightly dashed as the man shook his head.

"No. Only one room left."

"Dammit." he cursed softly, reverting back to English. He sighed and gave the man a nod. "Alright then. I will take the room."

The man's brow creased a bit, looking from the blonde to the three women.

"All four in one room?"

Naruto looked at him oddly once more. Did the man just figure they were going to share it? He gave him a nod. A frown made it's way onto the older man's face as he continued to look back and forth between he and his companions, judgingly. The man at the front desk wasn't the only one. Many of the staff, who appeared to be the same age as the older man, were also looking at him and his group with judgmental eyes.

' _Do they think I'm married to all three or something?'_

He bit his tongue, stopping himself from saying something that would ultimately land them back out on the streets and in search of another place to sleep. Honestly, just because he came in with three women didn't mean anything. Sure he and them had times when they got sexually active with one another, but that was as far as it ever went. After all, people like them don't get to live normal lives like the rest of the masses, so they had to take advantage of the time they had. Then again, the staff were also from another generation where the phrase friends with benefits didn't exist. He shook his head, he was going off on a tangent here.

"...That's right. All four in one room." replied Naruto, challenging the man to say something, anything.

The older man of course said nothing, nodded, and handed him his room key.

"Thank you." he said. Naruto looked at the innkeeper for a moment longer, and decided to see if the man had any useful information. "Also, would you happen to know of a man named Miles Warren?" he asked.

The innkeeper shook his head.

"I see. Then how about a man named Herbert Wyndham?"

That got a scowl on the innkeeper's face.

' _I'll take that as a yes.'_

The older man nodded. "Yes. That man came to our village many years ago, and brought his heresy with him!" spat the man. "Because of that, the demon within Wundagore Mountain is displeased."

Naruto raised a brow at that. A demon?

"Really now? Mind explaining so I can have a better understanding?"

The innkeeper gave him a hard stare. "I will not sure our entire history with a foreigner, as I do not wish to earn the ire of the demon." he said. "However, nor do I wish harm to befall you because you are ignorant and present within our village. I will explain enough to ensure that neither you nor your comrades fall under the gaze of the demon." he nodded.

"Fair enough." consented the blonde. "So, does this demon have a name?"

"If he does, then I do not know it, nor do I wish to." replied the innkeeper. "The only name I know of is that which was left to me by my forefathers. The name of the demon within our mountain is Chthon."

Naruto nodded, committing the name to memory, and continued to partially listen to the man's story of the demon. His attention was back full force when the man came to a certain part.

"It was during the sixth century that Chthon had been imprisoned within the mountain by the dark sorceress Morgan le Fay." he said. "She and those of her ilk summoned the demon but failed to realize something, they couldn't control it. Proving much to powerful for even one such as her, she sealed it within the mountain, where it remains unto this day."

"I see. Well, thank you for the information, and word of warning. I'll be sure to heed it."

The older man nodded, and watched the blonde leave the front desk to reunite with his comrades.

"Okay, so I got us a place to sleep, but they only had one room, which means one bed."

The three females shrugged, not really caring all that much. This wasn't the first, nor would it be the last, time they had to share a room, or bed, with one another. What mattered is that they had a roof over their heads tonight.

"Here." Naruto handed the key over to Adriana. "Our room number is nine. It's upstairs."

"And where are you going?"

"Nowhere, I just want to talk with Sersi for a bit." Adriana and Thundra merely looked at him before shrugging, and walking upstairs.

"So, what do you wish to discuss?"

"...You've been around for a long time, right?"

The Eternal nodded.

"And you have tons of information on all sorts of things, right?"

Sersi nodded once more, wondering where her friend was going with this.

"What can you tell me about the demon known as Chthon?"

That made the Eternal woman pause for a bit. "Well, now that is a name I have not heard in quite some time." she said. She turned to face him. "I know of the name, but little to nothing of the actual being as it is far older than I."

"I'll take anything ya got."

She shrugged. "Hm-mm, how to explain this." she mused. "Chthon is technically not a demon, but an Elder God. The best way I can describe him is that he exists in the same way Death does, as a part of our universe, a cosmic entity." she explained. "The elders of my race also told me that Chthon is the first being to completely master black magic."

At the mention of Death, he subconsciously placed a hand over his chest, rubbing the area in which the cosmic entity had placed her mark on him. He still didn't understand what it was for. Though now he understood where the innkeeper was coming from, and why the man felt Chthon was angry. It was because of all the science, heresy as the man called it, that Herbert and Miles were bringing in to a land that was steeped in the mystic arts.

"I see. Thanks for explaining as much as you could." He thanked. The duo eventually reached their room, and Naruto addressed the group. "Alright people, we'll settle in and rest for a few hours, and head out once night falls." The three females heard the order and nodded.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

"So, anyone seen a rare occurrence yet?" inquired the blonde.

The group had set out the second the moon was in the sky and night had fallen around the small village by the mountain. Naruto, along with Adriana, and Thundra, were the ground team while Sersi was searching from the skies.

"Nathan, we've only been searching for a few minutes." sighed Adriana. Honestly, her former student could be so-

 _Boom!_

"You were saying."

"...Shut up."

Naruto sent his old trainer a cheeky grin, and then signaled for Sersi to go on ahead and survey the situation. She copied.

"C'mon, let's pick up the pace."

The blonde increased his cadence as he sped ahead in the direction of the explosion, the other two right behind him, keeping pace. Off in the distance, all three could see smoke rising from behind a big thicket of trees, and knew they were very close. They eventually spotted Sersi crouching down behind a large rock.

"What did you see?" he questioned, crouching down next to her.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself."

Deciding to do so, he took a peek over the rock, and his turned blank. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. There were two groups fighting, no mistaking that. However, it was what one group consisted of that had him questioning his eyesight. One group consisted of Hydra, while the other group was consisting of humanoid...animals.

"Adriana, Thundra..."

"Yes?" Chorused the two.

"Can you join me up here for a second."

The two women shrugged, and were wondering just what the big deal was? They took a peek over the rock, and had to rub their eyes to make sure they were seeing correctly.

"Are we all seeing the same thing?" he asked.

"Yep." Was the unanimous answer.

"Oh good, I'm not losing my mind then."

As the quartet continued to watch, it was easy to identify that the groups down below were currently in a stalemate. Though it wouldn't last. While the humanoid animals were physically stronger, they were basically using what amounted to a stick to fight. Meanwhile, the Hydra group was not only a much larger force, but they all had firearms, which meant a lot of bullets. It was only a matter of time until the humanoid animals were overwhelmed and killed.

' _...Or maybe not.'_

Just when he assumed victory for Hydra, the tables were turned, and their numbers advantage was all but gone when a man, in armor, stepped out of the building the two groups were fighting in front of. His presence alone was changing the course of the battle. Then all hell broke loose when he began to fire beams of energy at the Hydra agents. One of the rival organizations of SHIELD was forced to call a retreat, so bad was their loss.

"Adriana, Thundra..." He grabbed their attention. "I want the two of you to follow the retreating men and women of Hydra, and hopefully, they'll lead you right back to their HQ."

"What are our orders if they do?" inquired the former trainer, a small twitch in her hand.

He looked her square in the eyes. "Wipe 'em out, but make sure to leave a few for me." he ordered, his eyes flashing red for a brief second.

Adriana sent him a vicious grin, nodded, and took off, followed closely by Thundra. A few seconds went by after the two left when he looked at his only remaining comrade.

"Alright. You ready to meet this guy?"

Sersi shrugged. "Ready as I'll ever be. Lead the way."

Stepping out from the rock, the duo immediately came into view of the armored man, along with the group of humanoid animals.

"Who are you?"

"We aren't enemies." proclaimed Naruto, hands held high.

"Clearly." spoke the man. "My sensors picked up four separate lifeforms in the area, and have since been monitoring the two who remained, telling me you mean no harm." revealed the man. "My query still stands. Who are you?"

The blonde contemplated lying here, since he didn't know the being across from him, but decided it was better to just be honest. He really didn't want to get into a firefight right now.

"...My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and this is one of my comrades, Sersi."

"So you are. Now what are you doing here?"

"We're on a retrieval mission." answered Sersi.

"What is it exactly you are retrieving?"

"Two men." replied the blonde. "Their names are Herbert Wyndham, and Miles Warren."

Naruto wasn't entirely positive, but he was pretty sure the tin man in front of him was frowning.

"...Why are you searching for them?"

"It comes at the behest of Howard Stark." he answered. "He received a call from one of them."

"I see." muttered the armored man. "It couldn't have been from Wyndham."

"What makes you believe that?"

"Because I am Herbert Wyndham, though I now prefer going by the name High Evolutionary." said the man, finally introducing himself. "Bova!"

Out from the group of animals walked out a humanoid cow.

"Sir?"

"Fetch me Miles."

"At once!"

Naruto watched the bovine obey without pause, off to fetch the other scientist.

"What do you think of my creations?"

The sudden question surprised him a bit. "Well, they're quite strong, and intelligent as well." he told the man.

The tin man appeared to be showing pride, as his chest puffed up a bit. "Yes, they are aren't they. My creations are simply beautiful. Though the people of Wundagore think them abominations." he said as he shook his head. "They don't understand that I created them to protect them. I even named them the Knights of Wundagore. For them."

The blonde director could only really nod, and breathed easy when he saw the cow returning with the scientist.

"Master, I've returned with Dr. Warren."

"Thank you, Bova." said the Evolutionary, and then looked at his assistant. "Miles, have you called Howard Stark anytime in the past?" he asked bluntly.

The younger man began to fidget, not used to being the center of attention, or having such a being with such power looking at him. Even though he knew it was Dr. Herbert. He eventually nodded.

"I did." he admitted.

"Why?"

"...While I appreciate everything you've taught me, the constant attacks and scorn of the villagers is simply to much for me to handle." he explained. "And I do not wish to leave with you." he said.

The High Evolutionary, remained silent for a minute, processing everything he had just been told. "I see. Then you are free to leave, Miles." he said, shocking the man. "Go, leave and make your mark on the world, so that when I return I may gaze upon the genius of a student of mine."

Miles' jaw flexed, hearing of the high expectations of him, and nodded. He then went to stand behind Naruto and Sersi.

"What do you want me to tell Howard?" asked the blonde, seeing that he was going to only return with one scientist.

"Inform Stark that Herbert Wyndham is dead." answered the tin man. "Only the High Evolutionary remains now."

With his part being said, the armored man who used to be Wyndham walked away from them, and then ordered his knights to prepare for takeoff. He didn't look back, and he soon vanished inside of the building. The trio could feel the ground beginning to rumble, quickly left the area, and before long the building they were just next to became a spaceship, blasting off into the sky.

"Well, that was certainly quite an exit." muttered Sersi.

Naruto couldn't help but nod. He then looked at Miles. "Before we begin making our way home, there's some business I have to take care of first. Once we're done, we can head over to our plane. Okay?"

Miles couldn't really do anything but nod.

"Good."

The trio left the now vacant area, and began to track down Adriana and Thundra. Naruto hoped the two hadn't run into to much trouble.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Nine**_

* * *

 ** _REVIEW_**


	10. Chapter 10

**_Brothers Of A Different Kind_**

 ** _Here's the tenth chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy._**

* * *

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel._**

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

" _Because I am Herbert Wyndham, though I now prefer going by the name High Evolutionary." said the man, finally introducing himself. "Bova!"_

 _Out from the group of animals walked out a humanoid cow._

" _Sir?"_

" _Fetch me Miles."_

" _At once!"_

 _Naruto watched the bovine obey without pause, off to fetch the other scientist._

" _What do you think of my creations?"_

 _The suddenly question surprised him a bit. "Well, they're quite strong, and intelligent as well." he told the man._

 _The tin man appeared to be showing pride, as his chest puffed up a bit. "Yes, they are aren't they. My creations are simply beautiful. Though the people of Wundagore think them abominations." he said as he shook his head. "They don't understand that I created them to protect them. I even named them the Knights of Wundagore. For them."_

 _The blonde director could only really nod, and breathed easy when he saw the cow returning with the scientist._

" _Master, I've returned with Dr. Warren."_

" _Thank you, Bova." said the Evolutionary, and then looked at his assistant. "Miles, have you called Howard Stark anytime in the past?" he asked bluntly._

 _The younger man began to fidget, not used to being the center of attention, or having such a being with such power looking at him. Even though he knew it was Dr. Herbert. He eventually nodded._

" _I did." he admitted._

" _Why?"_

" _...While I appreciate everything you've taught me, the constant attacks and scorn of the villagers is simply to much for me to handle." he explained. "And I do not wish to leave with you." he said._

 _The High Evolutionary, remained silent for a minute, processing everything he had just been told. "I see. Then you are free to leave, Miles." he said, shocking the man. "Go, leave and make your mark on the world, so that when I return I may gaze upon the genius of a student of mine."_

 _Miles' jaw flexed, hearing of the high expectations of him, and nodded. He then went to stand behind Naruto and Sersi._

" _What do you want me to tell Howard?" asked the blonde, seeing that he was going to only return with one scientist._

" _Inform Stark that Herbert Wyndham is dead." answered the tin man. "Only the High Evolutionary remains now."_

 _With his part being said, the armored man who used to be Wyndham walked away from them, and then ordered his knights to prepare for takeoff. He didn't look back, and he soon vanished inside of the building. The trio could feel the ground beginning to rumble, quickly left the area, and before long the building they were just next to became a spaceship, blasting off into the sky._

" _Well, that was an exit." muttered Sersi._

 _Naruto couldn't help but nod. He then looked at Miles. "Before we begin making our way home, there's some business I have to take care of first. Once we're done, we can head over to our plane. Okay?"_

 _Miles couldn't really do anything but nod._

" _Good."_

 _The trio left the now vacant area, and began to track down Adriana and Thundra. Naruto hoped the two hadn't run into to much trouble._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Three Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **January 10th, 1957**_

In the dark, damp, and dirty streets of The Bronx, a black Chevy Nomad roamed, patrolling the streets. One man was at the wheel, and one in the passenger seat. These two men were on a mission. They were looking for something, or more precisely, someone.

"Are you positive you want to stay in this borough during this hour of the night, doctor?" asked the driver.

"Yes." replied the doctor in the passenger seat. "The type of subject I seek only reveal themselves at such odd hours of the night."

The man at the wheel simply nodded. Personally, he'd rather be asleep, but he was always more than happy to assist a superior with a mission. Especially when said superior promised to put in a good word for him. Yes, Dr. Cornelius Worth is definitely a man to help if you want to advance your career.

"Remind me again doctor, but what sort of subject are we searching for again?"

"A drug addict." answered Worth. "The reason I wish to use an addict is simple. One, they usually have no family, so no one will ask questions, and two, an addict would be far more susceptible to the effects of the drug I plan on injecting into them." he explained. "Why, have you spotted one, James?"

"Possibly." replied the now named James. "Ahead of us, about twenty yards, tell me if you can spot the hobbling figure."

Cornelius leaned forward in his seat, and squinted his eyes behind his glasses. "...Yes, yes. I can see the figure. Shall we move in then?"

"That's entirely up to you, sir." replied James. "If it were me, I'd wait."

"Why?" inquired the doctor. Unlike others who were in his position of power, he listened to those of a lower rank, most of the time.

"Mostly because I can't tell if the person we're tailing is either drunk off his ass or high out of his mind at this time of the night." he explained. "I'd rather play the wait and see approach, rather than move in and make a potential mistake."

"Hm-mm, your reasoning is just, and you bring up a valid point." said Cornelius. "However, even if we do by chance make a mistake, who's going to believe a drunk, especially one out at this hour. I'll take that chance. Let's move in." he ordered.

Doing as told, James began to move the vehicle closer and closer. "What's the plan?"

"We gently accost the target, determine if he is of use to me, and go from there."

James nodded. "And then?"

Cornelius shrugged. "If I deem him a worthy test subject, then I sway him into joining us." explained the doctor.

The Chevy Nomad pulled ahead of the target, and the two men exited the car. James didn't even need to check the man to know what it was that was making him hobble. The man in front of him was high as a kite with a smile on his face that bordered near euphoric. Still, he had a job to do and would check the man anyway. Gently guiding the drug user to a nearby alley, he sat him down, and began. Cornelius was hovering behind him.

"Huh? What's going on?" questioned the drug user very slowly, his speech slurred.

"Pupils are dilated, extremely underweight, various sores on arms and face..." listed James as he put his flashlight in his mouth, and then pointed it to the drug users mouth. He gently pried it open for all the world to see. "...Rotten teeth."

Cornelius, who had seen everything James had listed, knew what they were dealing with. "It seems we have a man who uses methamphetamine, and quite heavily I might add." he diagnosed. "Does he have any identification on him?"

"Let me check."

James searched all of the unknown man's pocket, and got a hit. "An expired drivers license, from the country of Canada." he told the doctor. "His name is Robert Reynolds, age thirty-one."

A smile made it's way onto Cornelius' face. "Oh. We have an illegal, well, now I know people won't be searching for him if he goes missing. I think we have our candidate." he said. He then addressed the meth addict. "Robert! Robert!" he lightly slapped the man's face. "Can you understand me?"

The meth user seemed to have registered the use of his name, though judging by the blank look on his face, who knew.

"Robert, my name is Dr. Cornelius Worth." he introduced. "My associate and I are here to help you get your life together." he said, lying.

"What?"

Cornelius nodded. "It's true. We were hired by your mother..." Another lie.

"To help you get clean. She wants you back." added James. "She even said you could continue using meth as long as you come home." Cornelius glared at his driver for that last one, mentally telling him to keep his mouth shut as his last excuse was poor, and stupid.

Some part of their explanation seemed to have gotten through to the blonde, blue eyed, meth addict, as he was paying more attention to them than before. Though whether that was because they mentioned his mother, or the that he could continue doing drugs at home, neither knew.

"Really? She said that?"

Cornelius nodded, confirming. "Yes, she really said that. As long as she has you back home, that's all that matters to her."

Obviously believing the lie he was being fed by the two, Robert allowed James to help him off the dirty ground, and into the back of their vehicle. He soon fell asleep on the back seat.

"Well, that went much easier than I expected." commented the doctor.

"Indeed." added James.

"You did well out here today, James." said Cornelius. "As soon as we return to my lab, I'll be sure to put your name forward for recommendation." he told the driver. "Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra."

* * *

– _**Five Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **June 15th, 1957**_

Naruto was currently sitting in a makeshift office, until his real one was finished, and he was rubbing the bridge of his nose. Sitting in front of his desk were two of his agents, Peggy and Isaiah. Though he wasn't giving them much attention right now. Reason being because he was currently on a telephone call, and the man on the otherside was almost deliberately trying to talk his ear off. The guy was mad.

"Yes, yes, no, of course..." he droned, not really paying much attention to this one-sided conversation.

The blonde was strongly resisting the urge to let out a large sigh, though he may do so anyway just so he could open his mouth, because if he opened his mouth right now, a breath wasn't coming out. He's liable to tell the man on the other end to shut the hell up already. He took a deep breath, and exhaled.

If he did that, chances were he would be getting another phone call soon, from his actual superior this time, maybe. The President had more important matters to worry about than the squabbling of two of his subordinates. If Eisenhower did actually call to reprimand him for his coarse language, it would be nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

From what information he's been able to gather these past three years, on his government, the man on the other end of the line was as clean as they came, and loyal to a fault. He only wished the man wasn't so annoying. His name is Thaddeus Ross, also known as Thunderbolt Ross. The youngest Lieutenant Colonel in American history at the age of twenty-three, and only after two years of service so far.

Aside from the main reason of Ross rising through the ranks – saving a superior officer from Vietcong forces – Naruto reasoned that the young-man only attained his current rank because of the war. If they hadn't been fighting in Vietnam, chances were the young-man wouldn't have reached that particular rank until he was at least forty.

Naruto suddenly shook his head. Ross and his achievements were none of his business. What was his business was the issue at hand. The Lieutenant Colonel was blaming him and his organization for the death of one of his men. Or more precisely, the two guards he had sent to protect said man. The man who had died was a Jefferson Hart, a Major in the Army, and the two guards in question were in front of him.

"Yes. I understand. Will do." said the blonde, hanging up the phone. With the call now over, he leaned back in his chair, and sighed. "...Okay. What happened in Mexico City?" Isaiah and Peggy began to speak at the same time, each telling their story, which only further added to his growing headache. He raised his hand, silencing them. "One at a time."

The duo did just that, and each began explaining, often chiming in when the other forgot to mention a certain detail. Naruto's headache was now a full blown migraine. The more he listened to them, the less he wanted to believe.

"...Are you absolutely positive about this?" The duo nodded simultaneously. He let out another sigh.

It seemed the Major hadn't just up and died, no, he had been assassinated. Not by one, but by two hit-men. He easily recognized the first assassin by the description given to him by Peggy and Isaiah.

Omega Red.

From what he knew of the man's history, he was the Soviet Union's attempt at creating their very own brand of super-soldier, but with a twist. The man was also a mutant. That was all he knew of the man, until he met another who had fought against Omega Red countless times. It was Logan, the mutant he met in Madripoor.

He and Logan had an odd relationship. Technically, they weren't friends, but nor were they really each others enemy either. The short Canadian had said as much to him when they had met a few years ago.

It was during that very meeting that the mutant identified him as the same shinobi who was leading a team of Hand ninja's in Madripoor, and the very same shinobi who had inadvertently ended up killing James Falsworth.

Naruto had expected a fight as soon as he heard those words, but it never came. Logan informed him that he knew he wasn't a bad person, even when he was back in The Hand. Reason why? Because his instincts told him so, and he always trusted those. That, and he smelled the regret wafting off of him when Falsworth had died.

Speaking of the short mutant, Isaiah and Peggy had a run-in with him during their guard detail. This is what led to his subordinates learning who the two assassins were, as Logan had told them. Apparently the Canadian was in search of the second hitman, as the contract killer murdered his pregnant wife, a Japanese woman named Itsū. The second assassin has no known name, or if he did, they didn't know it.

His name is the Winter Soldier.

Naruto had only ever heard whispers spoken of this man as he was for all intents and purposes a damn ghost. Never out in the world for to long and then suddenly vanishing as if he were never there. It had been like that since he first started running SHIELD. Before he could continue questioning the two on their mission, and on the Winter Soldier, the door to his office blew open, and in walked Nick Fury.

"Turn on your television."

Now that had caught everyone's attention. Just what was on the television that had even Nick Fury up in a frenzy. Swiveling in his seat, Naruto opened up a small cabinet, revealing a small screen. Flipping the switch to on, he turned the dial to channel two, CBS news. He immediately wished he hadn't. He let out another sigh, and looked up at the ceiling questionably.

' _Why must I go through these trials and tribulations?'_

Not about to wait for a divine answer, he got up out of his chair, and started making his way over to the helipad upstairs. He stopped suddenly to address his one-eyed subordinate.

"Fury..."

"Sir."

"Inform Thundra to meet me at the helipad." The one-eyed man nodded and ran to find the giantess.

"What about us?" inquired Isaiah, ready to roll.

"Go and retrieve Terrence." ordered Peggy, easily falling into her persona of second-in-command of SHIELD. "Have him meet the others at the helipad." she added. "Move!" she snapped.

Isaiah stood at attention, and was quickly out of the office. Naruto gave Peggy a nod, glad he had chosen her to lead in his absence. With her knowing what to do, he soon left the office as well, and began to head up top. Though he needed to make a call first.

' _Sersi, are you there?'_

' _Go ahead, Naruto.'_

' _I need you, now.'_

' _My, I like the sound of that~'_

She was starting to purr, hoping to tease him a bit before they got into it, but stopped. She felt his storm of emotions and knew something was going on. He wasn't playing around.

' _What's wrong?'_

' _An anomaly has shown up in the heart of New York.'_ he answered. _'I need you to come along and help me if things take a turn for the worse. I've already got Thundra on her way to meet me at the helipad.'_

' _Gotcha. I'll meet the two of you up top.'_

Naruto thanked her, and made continued to make his way up.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

The two SHIELD agents, along with the two unsanctioned agents, had arrived on scene in record time and immediately began to assess the situation down below them. It wasn't looking good from the onset. There was a huge crowd of people gathered around, and to few policemen to control them.

"Thundra..." The crimson haired warrioress turned to the blonde. "Assist the policemen in controlling the crowd, but also be on the lookout for anyone trying to take advantage of the situation."

She looked down at the men and women in uniform, all of them were on edge. "...What if those I try to assist deem me a threat as well?" she inquired. Many of the law enforcement had spotted them as well now, and their presence clearly wasn't helping the situation.

Naruto was torn on that one. On the one-hand, he wanted to tell her to protect herself if she ever felt threatened. On the other-hand however, he wanted her to refer to him in situations like these, letting the policemen know he was with the government. Which by proxy meant she was as well, since she worked for him, but that also posed a problem. SHIELD is supposed to be secret for a reason. If they go telling everyone who they are, then they wouldn't be able to do their jobs.

Take the situation right now. Their three man group, minus Terrence, weren't here as SHIELD agents. They couldn't be. They were here as concerned citizens, or if you wanted to get cute, vigilantes. He was here in a persona he created for situations like this. He was here as Kagebōshi.

That was one of the few negatives about being part of the organization. Despite it being known to only a select few, top brass mostly, the same could not be said of lower tier agencies within the government. Local law enforcement being a prime example. He had seen the wary glances being sent their way.

"Play it by ear." Naruto finally answered.

Thundra gave him a blank look when hearing his reply, but then shrugged. She leapt off the building they had landed on, and began to walk on over to the policemen. His eyes lingered on her retreating form for a second longer before turning his attention to Sersi.

"You ready to do this?"

She nodded. "Be wary, Naruto." she said, serious. "The target we approach has power, and quite a lot of it. So much that even I cannot see an end to it's depths."

Naruto sighed. He wished she hadn't told him something so ominous before they got started. "Sersi..."

"Yes?"

"Do me a favor, keep shit like that to yourself next time." he said, reverting to his Brooklyn roots for a second.

They approached the target, a man, who much like himself was blonde and blue eyed, from the front as Sersi levitated them over to him. Landing on the ground seconds later, they approached him. The man was about an inch shorter than him, and whereas his gear was built for stealth, the flying man's was not. His gear was built to be flashy, and it was. He was wearing a yellow jumpsuit, black boots and gauntlet, along with black underwear that had an s on them. The last piece of his ensemble was a blue cape.

"Excuse me!" Naruto grabbed the levitating man's attention. "Could you come on down so that I don't have to yell?"

The man in the air merely looked down at him. "...Who are you, and what do you want?"

Naruto sent the man a frown behind his mask. He didn't like the fact that he was being forced to go at this man's pace, but if he wanted some answers, he had no choice. "...My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I'm the director of SHIELD, a peacekeeping organization." he said, but only loud enough for the man to hear.

Once he mentioned the word peace, the man in the yellow suit perked up, his eyes shining. He slowly began to descend towards the two until he was directly in front of the man with the mask.

"Thank you for cooperating."

The unknown man nodded. "You're welcome."

"Okay. Let's start off with something simple. What's your name?"

"My name is Robert Reynolds, but you can call me by my hero name, Sentry."

Hearing that particular name deepened Naruto's frown. "Any reason you decided to call yourself that particular name?" He was hoping Robert came up with the name as a spur of the moment type thing.

"Oh, the reason is because the scientists who gave me the drugs called me that." he answered honestly.

"...Do you know where the scientists currently are?"

Reynolds suddenly looked down at the ground. "They're gone." he whispered. The costumed individual looked up at his fellow blonde in alarm. "I didn't mean to blow the building up. I swear!" he exclaimed frantically. "It just felt like there was something inside of me trying to get out, and if I didn't let it out I would have popped!" Sentry was starting to tear up and snivel. "Please don't take me to jail!" pleaded the man.

' _Naruto...'_

The super-soldier heard Sersi reach out to him.

' _Yeah?"_

' _Be extremely careful around this man. Not only does he have power, but he's also mentally unstable as well.'_

He subtly gave her a nod. He'd figured that one out by himself, having seen the signs just seconds ago. Though what was he supposed to do about it? If he was as powerful as Sersi claimed him to be, then he just couldn't lock him up in a regular prison. It just wouldn't work out. He then bit his lip. He had an idea, though how well it worked was anyone's guess. He returned his attention to the sniveling man.

"Sentry." He grabbed the man's attention. "How would you like to make up for killing those scientists by helping people with your powers?"

"I'd like that more than anything!"

Naruto nodded. "Good. First, clean yourself up. Second, I want you to follow my friend here back to our HQ. She'll get you setup."

Robert nodded happily, thanking the masked man for a second chance, and then following after the woman in green. About a minute after they had left, more police had finally arrived on scene to assist with crowd control. This allowed Thundra to leave her position, and return to Naruto's side.

"That man, he acts like a child." she said, hands on her wide hips. With her enhanced hearing, she had caught the entire conversation.

"Agreed, but that's why I had to bring him in, to keep an eye on him." he said. "He's to unstable to be left alone, and with that much power at his disposal."

He suddenly tapped the earpiece in his ear.

 _[Peggy, do you copy?]_ He radioed in to HQ. _  
_

 _[Go ahead.]_

 _[Run the name Robert Reynolds through our database, and check for any recent fires that may have occurred between now and last year.]_ he ordered. _[You get all that?]_

 _[Roger. Anything else?]_

 _[Yeah, start a new file for me.]_

 _[What do you want me to title it?]_

 _[The Sentry.]_

The line went silent for a few seconds. _[...Done. What do you want me to put in it?]_

 _[Nothing. I'll handle that when I return. Just leave the file on my desk.]_

 _[Copy. Anything else?]_

 _[Yeah. Be aware that Sersi is bringing in a recruit.] he informed. [Just let her handle this one until I return. Once I do, I'll fill you in.]_

 _[Roger that. Is that all?]_

 _[That's all.]_

 _[Copy. Over and out.]_

"You're hoping to find answers at the facility the man blew up, aren't you?" questioned Thundra.

Naruto tapped his nose, and the warrioress nodded. With their job now done, the two began their trek back to the chopper, and were soon flown back to HQ, to meet the new recruit.

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **July 20th, 1957**_

Naruto and Adriana were currently being flown into Midtown to stop a robbery in progress, though it was anything but a normal heist. Normally, their organization didn't get involved in street crimes, as they had more pressing matters to worry about, but every once in a while one will catch their attention. It's the reason why they listen in on calls being made to the police, firefighters, etc.

Apparently, various calls have been made in the past week, by different people, yet all of the are saying the same thing. A man, early to mid-twenties, Caucasian, black hair, would walk into the bank that the caller attends, and then rob it blind. None of the callers have ever mentioned a crew, threats to any of the tellers, weapons, or anything else bank robbers were usually associated with. This led SHIELD to surmise that this was possibly the work of a superhuman.

Unfortunately, all they had to go on were theory's. They needed clear evidence that the man they were dealing with did indeed have powers. So, they let him continue unhindered. They had installed their own set of security cameras in a few banks, as those they'd checked from the previous few were always blank. Which meant one of two things. Either the man had some sort of power over electricity, or he had an inside man, possibly a teller, considering he never threatened them. He had his answers soon enough.

Their tapes showed the man threatening the patrons, and then walking up to a single teller. He then just stood there, talking to them. After a few seconds, the teller would leave, and the bank security feed was suddenly gone. The vault would then open, and in walked their perpetrator, ready to pillage. The teller would then return, and lie on the ground, face down. Once finished, the man would then bid everyone a farewell, and walk out.

Unfortunately, his plan to find out if the man had powers or not came at a price. His naivety had cost various banks hundreds of thousands, and in some cases even millions, of dollars. Not only did it put a strain on the economy, but on the hardworking citizens of New York, costing a few of them their lives. Financially at least. That is the reason why he was currently on his way to personally apprehend the man, to fix the mistake he wrought.

"Estimated time of arrival is five minutes!" informed Terrence, speaking into his headset. "If you're not finished prepping yet, then I would recommend getting it done soon!"

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

The two super-soldiers were currently overlooking the bank that was being robbed from a building on the opposite side.

"So, how do you wanna do this?" inquired Adriana, leaning over the edge of the roof, trying to get a better view.

"Quietly." answered the blonde. "Why do you think only you and I are here?"

"Because we screw the most." Naruto gave her a blank look. "Just trying to lighten the mood here."

"It's appreciated, but wrong place and time." he said. "This is the plan. We enter through the vents, get behind the target, and then remove him nice and quiet-like-"

 _Boom!_

The two soldiers heard the thunderous sonic-boom overhead, and turned their sharp gazes up towards the vastness of the never-ending blue sky. They watched a yellow blur shoot past them, and directly into the back, causing a lot of damage to the surrounding buildings along the way.

"Well, that's certainly one way to start building mistrust between superhumans and the public." said the female super-soldier, eying the damage that the Sentry's speed alone caused. "The taxpayers aren't going to be happy about this."

Naruto sighed. "Adriana..."

"Yes?"

"Do me a favor, and keep shit like that to yourself." He's already had to tell Sersi this, he didn't think he would have to do the same with Adriana.

"Noted."

Not a few seconds later did they see the yellow blur emerge from the bank, and surprise, surprise, it was the Sentry. The blonde in the blue cape had a large grin plastered on his face. He had caught the criminal.

"Come on."

The two super-soldiers descended the building, and eventually made their way to Robert. Naruto's eyes roamed over the criminal, and he dismissed him immediately. Just one look into the young-man's eyes told Naruto all he needed to know. This man was no threat, superhuman or not.

"Director!" Robert greeted him happily. "Oops, I mean, Kagebōshi!" He forgot that the director told him to call him that when out on the streets. "I heard there was a mission to catch a bad guy robbing banks going on, and I wanted to help."

A frown was beginning to develop behind Naruto's mask as he turned his attention to Robert. Despite the criminal being apprehended, he didn't like the fact that it was Reynolds who had done it. It wasn't because he was jealous of the man stealing his target, far from it. It was because of what he learned of the man a month ago.

It turns out the building he blew up on accident was actually an AIM facility, which meant by extension it was a Hydra facility as well. Learning this had given him many sleepless nights. Couple this together with what he knew of the Sentry formula, and learning Robert was a drug addict to boot, well, it didn't take him long to order their surveillance of him increased. Which begged the question to be asked. Just where was Sersi? She had been assigned as his handler, and was supposed to be with him round the clock.

Returning to the present situation, he gave Robert a nod. "You did good, but next time I would prefer if you stayed with Sersi, and radioed in, telling us you were coming. Okay?"

The man-child looked down at the floor, like he had just been scolded by a parent, and gave his fellow blonde a nod. Naruto returned it. He then turned to his old trainer.

"Adriana..." The woman stood at attention. "I want you to escort the man to a police station." he ordered. Before the female super-soldier could lay her hands on the detainee, the man began to shout at the top of his lungs.

"No! Stay away from me!" he cried, flailing. "Mastermind will not be taken and put away in a cage like some rabid dog!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, and sighed. This was getting annoying now. "If he gets on your nerves, don't be afraid to use some force to shut him up."

Adriana nodded, a grin on her face. Seeing as he was about to be apprehended, Mastermind turned his entire focus on the masked man issuing all the orders, and used his special ability.

The blonde director suddenly felt something foreign enter his mind, trying it's absolute hardest to try and influence him. He wasn't having any of that. Sending chakra to his eyes, his sharingan came to life. His eyes easily tore through hypnotism that was attempting to be placed on him, and then turned their gaze unto the culprit. He then entered his mind.

' _Hm-mm, so his real name is Jason Wyngarde, former carnival performer, and a mutant with the power to cast semi-strong illusions and hypnosis.'_

Well, it seems he was wrong. The man was in fact a superhuman, meaning his theory of him having an accomplice help him pull off all these robberies was now debunked. Good thing to, because he was a few seconds away from apprehending the tellers he thought were apart of it.

"Belay that order." he said, and Adriana stopped before she could reach him. "Escort him back to HQ and place him in an interrogation cell instead."

Unfortunately, there were not yet facilities that could contain what superhumans there were, and as a result of this, Naruto has been forced to lock them up under the cells at HQ. Granted, this was his first superhuman prisoner, but the problem was still present. There were no places to lock up these kinds of people. He was hoping to change this though. In a few months, he had a meeting scheduled with the Governor of New York to see about a deal being made to purchase Ryker's Island, the four-hundred and fifteen acre island located in the East River. He was hoping to turn the place into a prison.

Coming to the realization that the man in the mask issuing orders had brushed his illusion aside like it was nothing, and the female inching ever closer, he turned his attention to the blonde in the blue cape. Using his power once more, he planted a rather nasty illusion in his mind, hoping it would be enough to force the man into releasing him.

Naruto and Adriana enhanced hearing was suddenly treated to a loud, blood curling, scream that came from Robert, who was holding his head in pain. He dropped the criminal, and before Mastermind could even attempt to escape, a kunai was lodged in his leg, immobilizing him.

"Argh! My leg!"

"Patch the fool up and take him away." ordered the blonde director. Adriana nodded and made her way over to the downed man, sparing Robert a glance, who had stopped screaming by this point. She lifted Mastermind, and began to move him off to the side.

Naruto turned his attention away from Adriana to Robert, and wondered what was going on with him? Deciding to check on him, he began to move closer when the man suddenly began to levitate up off the ground. The levitating blonde man lifted up his head, and both blonde's locked eyes for a brief second. The director of SHIELD surmised it wouldn't take a genius to know something was really wrong here.

"Robert." The shinobi was trying to get his attention. "...Robert." Nothing. "Sentry! Answer me!"

The man's head snapped up, and he looked at Naruto square in the eyes. "The Sentry is dead. All that remains is a Void." said the Void, grinning. A spine tingling chill went up Naruto's spine. It felt like he was staring Kaguya down all over again, and that was never a good feeling.

Before he could open his mouth to warn Adriana to evac, with Mastermind, he was already to late. The Void was behind her in the time it took him to open his mouth. The next few seconds seemed to play in slow-motion, as he was recalling all the good times he's had with the woman. She had seen the look in his eyes, smiled at him, and nodded. She knew what was about to happen, and he was powerless to do anything, again! He was looking into her eyes, and then they were gone, replaced with the Void's red eyes. Adriana had been ripped in half by the monster's bare hands.

Those who had the unfortunate circumstance to be watching from afar could not keep the contents of their stomachs down, vomiting here and there. He would have been right there alongside them. Seeing that done to a friend had that sort of effect on a person, no matter their fortitude, but he didn't have the luxury. He was staring her murderer down.

Time seemed to come to a standstill as they continued to stare the other down, each of them waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop. Well, it didn't take long. He activated his mangekyō, and as he began to summon his susanoo, a technique provided to him by his eyes that he recently unlocked, protectively around him, it was shattered. The sheer brute force behind the Void's attack was staggering.

So much so that Naruto was blasted off the ground, which collapsed by the way, trapping many of the civilians watching them. He was being taken higher and higher into the atmosphere. If the large hand atop his head didn't crush his skull, and kill him, first, then the lack of oxygen or amount of pressure on his body would. This was despite him being a part god. He needed to do something, and fast.

Instinct took over as he placed his hands over not-Robert's face, and tried to gouge his eyes out. The man showed mild discomfort, but that was enough for him. He took advantage of that by wrapping his ninja wire around his throat. If he couldn't blind the monster into releasing him, then maybe he could knock him unconscious by suffocating him.

It didn't work.

The wire simply wasn't durable enough against not-Robert's tough skin, and snapped. Getting over his mild eye irritation, the Void suddenly grinned, and in an ironic twist, he now had his hands wrapped around Naruto's throat, looking to choke the life out of him.

' _Shit!'_

Naruto could already feel his trachea being crushed under the strength of the Void. His vision was also starting to fade. He was using every ounce of his own super-strength to remove his hands, but they just weren't budging! Desperate times called for desperate measures, and he did the only thing he could. He began to viciously kick at the man's groin. The monster must have had balls of steel because it did not force the Void to release him, but it did present him with an opportunity. The pressure around his windpipe was loosening, and the velocity they were traveling at lessened, which gave him just enough leeway to adjust himself and regain his vision.

Which is all he needed. If he couldn't injure the man physically, then he would destroy him mentally. When not-Robert looked back at him, their eyes met for the briefest of seconds, but that was all he needed, and he uttered the one word that would be the Void's downfall.

 **"** _ **Tsukuyomi (Moon Reader)!"**_

* * *

 _Unfortunately for him, whereas he expected to have the Void at his mercy in a world that was his very own creation, he instead found himself in front of two men not named the Void. One was the regular old Robert, the drug addict. The other was the hero many, but not all, adored. Sentry._

" _Director!" cried the hero persona, pulling him into a bone crushing hug. "Please, you have to help us!" he pleaded. "The Void, he overwhelmed us! We tried to stop him, we really did, but he was just to powerful for us."_

 _Naruto didn't have time for this. "The Void. What is he, and how do I stop him?"_

" _The Void is another me." answered the addict, eyes glazed. "If the Sentry is all the good I have inside of me, then the Void is the exact opposite. He's all the darkness inside of me."_

" _Okay, whatever, how do I stop him?"_

 _The two Robert's looked at one another, and then looked back at him. "We don't know."_

 _The blonde super-soldier wanted to pull his hair out! How could they not know! They were the same damned person for chrissakes!_

" _Let me rephrase that." said Sentry, having seen his reaction. "You must first come to understand a critical detail, director. The Void is just as much apart of us as we are of him."_

" _Speak clearly." growled the shinobi._

" _What I'm trying to say is that while the two of us are here, in his mind, we can influence him just as much as he tries to influence us." he explained._

 _Something clicked in Naruto's mind when hearing that. "Is that the reason you act childish?"_

 _The Sentry nodded. "The less I think about the thoughts he sends me, the better. My life as drug addict Robert Reynolds was not a pleasant one." he said, smiling sadly. "I'm always in a constant battle with the Void every waking moment of my life."_

 _Naruto paused in his planning for a moment. Hearing that actually made him feel sorry for the man known as Robert Reynolds. To always be at war with yourself. That was no way to live. He idly began to wonder if that was the reason he turned to drugs in the first place? He shook his head, the man's tragic life aside, he was here for a reason._

" _Are the two of you able to influence the Void right now?"_

 _Both men shook their head. "Not as much as before." admitted Robert. "The illusion that was placed on us moments ago was very horrible, and it only strengthened the Void. As of now, he is stronger than us, but only by so much. He is after all still us."_

 _An idea was beginning to take shape in Naruto's mind, but he was hesitant in going through with it. Not because he actually couldn't go through with it, but because it was going to rely on the two men in front of him. Though at this point in the game, he didn't really have much of a choice but to go through with it._

" _If I can place the Void here, with the two of you, do you believe you could stop him?"_

 _The two men looked at one another, and then back at him. "...Possibly, but it could take us a very long time, and even then, I'm not entirely sure we would be able to win." admitted Sentry._

 _Naruto could only nod at the grim admission. "We've got to try." They didn't have that many options here. It was this or nothing. He gave them a nod, and was gone._

* * *

Returning from the illusionary world, he was back in the real world, a second having past outside, and immediately he wished he was back inside. They were no longer go upwards, and were now on a spiral downwards, towards a large building, with people still inside. The Void smashed him through pillar after pillar.

 _Bam!_

Those who were lucky enough to be far away from the fight could only watch in abject horror. The building was starting to come down, no doubt about to kill hundreds, if not thousands, of people. Both in and out of the building.

After it finished coming down, only a single person remained among the wreckage. A man who had a smile of satisfaction on his face. It was the Void.

"That was fun." he commented. "Now then, I've got a new lease on life, let's see what the world has to offer me."

Just as he was about to blast off into the sky he stopped. His enhanced hearing caught the sounds of a heartbeat from behind him, underneath the wreckage. Turning around, he began to grin so wide that it was threatening to split his face.

"Well, well, well. It seems like you'll be able to entertain me even more." he said, looking at Naruto.

The blonde director of SHIELD didn't look any worse for wear, as all of his gear was still in pristine condition, and this was despite being driven through a building, and having it come down on him. The reason for this was because he had been forced into using a technique that allowed him to re-write his fate.

It comes with a price though, as bending reality usually does. Normally, the user loses sight in the eye with which they used to cast the illusion, but thanks to Kaguya's blood, he negated that effect. Though he still pays a price for using it. Everything negated up to the point of using the illusion was felt as he rewinds his clock. If his body wasn't enhanced to the degree it was, with Kaguya's blood, then the pain would have been enough to kill him five times over. It didn't stop there. The eye that cast the illusion was left tired, and he couldn't cast the illusion with that eye for a few minutes, not unless he pushed it. Which he might have to do in this fight.

Before not-Robert could begin with his fun once more, another sonic-boom was heard in the sky, and a green comet came flying in, directly barreling into the Void, and taking him to the sky. It was Sersi.

' _Just where the hell have you been!?'_ he shouted _. 'You know what, it doesn't even matter now, just keep him occupied.'_

' _Copy. You have a plan?'_

' _I do, but it won't work unless I have him on the ground. You have to get him down here.'_

' _I'll try.'_

 _Boom!_

The blonde down below heard the thunderous sound in the sky above, indicating that the sound barrier had been broken once more. Looking up, he spotted the two combatants going at it. Physically, the Void was stronger than Sersi, but that only counted for so much. The Eternal woman had experience on her side, and she was using it, easily avoiding kill strikes, and using not-Roberts strength against him. He hated to admit it, but he was outclassed when it came to these two behemoths, in all aspects.

 _Boom!_

Shaking the doubt from his mind, he returned to the matter at hand. Sersi had gotten behind him, and was currently using all the force she could muster to bring him crashing down. His opportunity was coming up. Using his mangekyō, he calculated just where they were going to come down, and he broke out in a sprint. Unsheathing one of his kōdachi, he reared his arm back, and threw it like a javelin. If his eyes were correct, and they usually were, then it would miss Sersi, and come into contact with the Void's body. Impact was imminent in three...two...one...

"Argh!"

Leaping into the air to avoid the backlash of their crashing shockwave, he landed in front of the Void and immediately locked eyes with him. He then uttered the word of his downfall, he hoped.

Izanami. Normally, all this technique did was cast a looping illusion on the desired target, forcing them to see the errors of their ways, or be forced to remain stuck in the loop forever. His version was a bit different. It still did the aforementioned, but his allowed for a casting of more than one person, at the same time. Which is what he had done. He had brought Sentry and Robert into the loop with the Void. It was there that they would fight for control, no matter how long it took.

' _That's not enough.'_

He could already see the Void twitching a bit. He needed something else, something to at least ensure that he was being watched while the mind of Robert was being fought over. Unsealing a small brush and ink, he got to work, drawing multiple, but hidden, crude looking seals around the Void's body.

 **"** _ **Jigō Jubaku no In (Self Cursing Seal)"**_

Once he was finished, he put his fingers together.

 **"** _ **Fūin (Seal)!"**_

What he just did is considered a taboo in his original home, to control another, but he didn't care. He didn't follow the rules of a race of people he had never met. Besides, the monster in kneeling before him could take it. He was already feeling the push the Void's mind was giving the seal. It was taking a lot of concentration on his part to maintain his hold. Considering the man's substantial power, the seal would have to be applied again in a few months, just to be on the safe side. He didn't need it wearing off all of a sudden.

"What are you waiting for? Kill him."

His thoughts were suddenly pieced by the cold voice of Sersi. He looked down at not-Robert.

"Can you do such a thing as the man is?"

"I hold no sentiments about killing the man." she answered easily. He was a threat far to dangerous to be left alive in her opinion.

"Nor do I." Naruto agreed, and was willing to kill the man, but only if he had no other choice. "But it was not Robert, nor the Sentry, who killed all these people. It was the Void." he said. "A manifestation of dark thoughts within Robert's mind."

"Your point?" Sersi questioned. She was positive that if the population who had experienced and had a chance to witness today's events were told what she was just told, many wouldn't care. They would want justice served.

The blonde was going to ask her if she could kill a man who had no control, but one look in her eyes told him all he needed to know. Hell, the question sounded weak even to him, but could he do it? Could he kill a man who wasn't in his right state of mind? He shook his head and sighed. Gods how he wished for an answer. Not once since he took this job did he think he would ever be presented with such a situation. To kill a superhuman who had split personalities or not to kill them, that was the question.

"What are you going to do?" she asked, pressing.

"...I'm going to give him as much time as he needs to return to normal."

"So you're giving him a second chance." Sersi didn't like this.

Naruto nodded. "I am. Everyone deserves a second chance." he said, having given those scientists up in Canada the same treatment.

"What if this happens again? What then? A third and fourth chance perhaps?" she mocked.

"No." he said. "If this happens again, I'll kill him myself." Second chances were as far as he went.

That put the Eternal woman at ease, glad to know the man she'd come to consider a close friend would do what was necessary, even if he was letting his emotions cloud his judgment right now. Because she did not want to fight the Void a second time.

"What do you want to do about him?" she asked, looking at not-Robert. "What of your blade. Do you not want it back?"

"No, leave it in." he said. "It's causing him pain, which is good. That means his concentration is split at the moment. Which not only makes my job of keeping him in line easier, but theirs as well." Sersi sent him a confused glance, wondering what he meant by that last comment of his. "Place him in the deepest cell we've got at HQ. I want twenty-four hour surveillance on him at all times. Understood?"

She nodded, hoisted up the Void atop her shoulder, and began to fly back to headquarters.

Watching her fly away, he turned his attention to something he had not wanted to think about, couldn't really. He walked over to Adriana's severed corpse. He shook his head. Another friend was gone, and this time, it was his fault. Looking around at the destruction, he noticed Mastermind was nowhere to be found. Whether the man had somehow escaped death today, or was in fact dead, didn't really matter all that much to him right now.

If he was alive, he would get his eventually, and by his hands no less. If he was dead, then there was one less piece of trash in the world. He knew he was being a hypocrite here, especially after giving his answer to Sersi' question, but could you blame him? Jason Wyngarde was responsible for creating the Void, and inadvertently being responsible for killing his friend. Along with who knew how many others. He stopped himself, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

He was letting his emotions for Mastermind, and Adriana's death, get the better of him right now, and he really couldn't afford that happening right now. The backlash for this whole event was going to be huge, and he needed to be in the right state of mind when he was eventually confronted about it. It was sad, but he was not going to be able to mourn Adriana's death for very long.

Taking out a storage scroll, he laid it down next to the upper-half of Adriana's body, and sealed it away inside. He then located the other-half, and sealed that alongside the other. If anything, he was going to give her a proper burial. As he somberly began to make his way back to HQ, memories of all the good times they'd had together began to surface, putting a smile on his face. Gods was he going to miss her.

* * *

– _**Seven Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **February 14th, 1958**_

"Remind me again. Why are the six of us going to this sham of a joint exercise?"

The blonde super-soldier sighed for the umpteenth time. "You know why, Fury."

Naruto, Fury, Timothy Dugan, Gabe Jones, Jim Morita, and Jacques Dernier were all currently being flown into the state of Kansas, near the small town of Smallville, for a joint training exercise. With who you may ask? The other branches of the military, that's who.

Why it was being held in the heartland was anyone's guess, though Naruto had an inkling why. There was nothing but plains of wheat fields as far as the eye could, and little of anything else in-between. The next town was probably miles away from their current location. With the lack of eyes for miles on end, it was the perfect place to hold secret training exercises.

The whole reason why they were holding this group therapy session was because of the fallout from the Void incident months ago. Turns out a lot of military leaders didn't like him, or the fact he had more power than them, who woulda thunk it. So, like a bunch of whiny brats, they complained to daddy, who just happened to be the President. The old bastards wanted to depose him for not only not being able to handle the Void situation, but for costing thousands of Americans their lives, and for failing to prevent millions in property damage.

They had nearly gotten him out the door if not for a few factors. One, he had Stark and Phillips in his corner. With their support thrown behind him, they slowly began to change Eisenhower's opinion. The second factor. Had he not been there to stop not-Robert, none of them would be alive. Lastly, he had his track record of time served, and behind enemy lines no less. After all of that, they had convinced the President he was the right man for the job. That being said, the head of state told him he was on thin ice, and if another incident like the previous one occurred again, under his watch, then he was gone.

Those who were against him didn't agree with the ultimate decision of keeping him in charge, but what could they do? Go against the decision of their commander-in-chief? Not likely. So, having no choice but to accept it, they prayed he messed up again. It was during that meeting that Naruto had caught the President mumbling something about a joint exercise for his branches of military. Skip ahead, and now here they were.

Fury nodded. It was true. He knew why, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "I just like reminding myself of why we're out here wasting time."

Reason why it was only the six of them was pretty obvious, on some level. Neither Sersi nor Thundra are officially apart of SHIELD, so that was their out. Yukio and Monica? Aside from being assigned a mission, they weren't coming because he was pretty sure there were those who were still upset with him about taking them years ago. Peggy needed to remain in HQ to run things, as did Terrence, who was their only pilot. That only left one.

Isaiah was a bit of a different case. He wasn't present because he was on a mission, or because he had to stay behind. He wasn't here because he had retired from the life of a SHIELD agent. The man had paid off his seventeen year sentence, and then some. That wasn't all however. He also retired because he had made a mistake during a mission.

In the beginning, he thought nothing of it. Just a man making a mistake. He waved it off. It continued to persist. At first, they were simple mistakes, but it whatever it was gradually got worse. One day Isaiah would know who you were and the following day he would speak to you like a complete stranger. At the time, he kept wondering just how this could happen to a man who had taken a variation of the super-soldier serum? Then it hit him. It was the serum. It had to be.

Fury had gone blind in one eye after taking his variation, why couldn't the same be happening to his old friend? With that thought in mind, he had Isaiah's blood tested. He had received terrible news. The scientist he had saved, Miles Warren, informed him that the serum Isaiah had taken over sixteen years ago was finally starting to destabilize, and it wasn't going to stop. Not until it claimed both his mind and body.

It felt like he had been sucker punched when hearing the news, and he didn't want to believe it, despite seeing the signs. After learning this, he didn't have the heart to face the man. Of course, the being close friends for so long, the man was able to pick up on his distress, and confronted him about it.

* * *

 _ **~Flashback~**_

 _Naruto was staring off into the distance, not really looking at or thinking anything. No, that was a bold faced lie. He was thinking about his friend, Isaiah, and what he was going to tell him. All the man knew was that his blood was being tested, as part of a checkup._

" _Nate, you there buddy?"_

 _Isaiah had finally found his friend after searching for him for the better part of an hour. He was up on the roof, staring at the New York skyline._

 _He waved his hand in front of the blonde's face. "Hello? You there?"_

 _No response._

 _Having had enough of being ignored, he lightly tapped the man on the shoulder._

" _Huh?"_

" _Damn man, it's like you were in some sorta trance or something. You alright?" he asked._

" _...Yeah man, I'm good." replied Naruto. "How you doing?"_

" _Doing pretty good, thanks, but you sure as hell ain't." pointed out the long time friend. "I can tell when you're lying to me. So c'mon, tell me what's wrong, brother?"_

 _Naruto looked at him for a solid ten seconds, not saying a word, before sighing. He couldn't lie to the man, one because he would see through it, and two, he was a friend. So, with great reluctance, he told him what they found in his blood._

 _The two men had remained in silence for the better part of five minutes, one digesting what he had just been told, and the other studying his reaction. The blonde decided to break the silence._

" _...Isaiah." he grabbed the man's attention. "I think it's time you start being a husband and a father to your family full-time, don't you?"_

" _Nate, you can't be asking me to-"_

" _I am." he interrupted. "You've more than earned your second chance at life while working for me. It's now time to actually live it."_

 _Isaiah looked at his friend and leader, about to argue that he could go for a bit longer, but one look at the man told him he would have lost. He let out a sigh, and nodded._

" _Good. You can leave whenever you want." he said, getting up and giving the man a hug._

" _Thank you, Nathan." whispered Isaiah. "I mean it. Thank you, for everything."_

" _No problem." he replied. "Just make your the best damned husband and father you can be, that's an order." he said. He knew it was a cheesy thing to say, but hey, it put a smile on his friend's face._

" _Yes sir." replied Isaiah, giving his friend his last salute._

 _ **~Flashback End~**_

* * *

Isaiah had left SHIELD days after that conversation.

Naruto leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes, and released a content sigh. He may not have been able to save Adriana from this life, but he had saved Isaiah's. Even if he only lived a few more years. It was enough for him.

Speaking of the only female super-soldier, her funeral had come and gone. It was a small affair, as only those who knew her personally attended. It was in that moment of lamenting, and standing among the graves of those who had come before him, that he decided upon something. He vowed he was going to save as many of his subordinates lives as he could, so that they could see a life after servitude. It was a lofty goal, he knew this, and a near impossible one, but he had to try. Nothing worth doing was every easy. The first way to go about doing this was by implementing a new system for SHIELD.

He said new, but in reality it was the system used by The Hand. Assigning missions based on a soldiers rank. He already had a system in place for information, and that was clearance levels. He was at the top with a level ten clearance, both alpha and omega. Peggy was the next highest at nine, so on and so forth.

Speaking of making sure his subordinates live to see old age, he turned his gaze to the man sitting next to him. After the whole situation regarding Isaiah and his deterioration, he believed the same would eventually happen to Fury. Going blind in one eye could only be the beginning. When he confronted the man about it, he was told by the one-eyed man he had it under control. Apparently, the one-eyed man had taken certain measures to insure that it didn't happen to him.

When questioned about this, Fury explained that he had tracked down the scientist who created his variation of the serum, and had him create more of it. He explained that as long as he kept injecting himself on an annual basis, then he would stave off the effects that were claiming Isaiah. Naruto told him that it was nothing more than a crutch, what he was doing, but he didn't exactly tell him to stop either.

For one because he knew what kind of man Fury was, and two, if that was the only way for the man to stave off deterioration, then who was he to tell him how to live. The last thing he brought up before he dropped the subject was warning the man to monitor how many injections he took, because once he ran out, time would catch up, and hit him hard.

"Estimated time of arrival is ten minutes!" announced the pilot.

The blonde and his team nodded, sat back, and simply waited until they landed. The sooner they were done, the sooner they could leave.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

A large plume of black smoke caught the attention of the men of SHIELD, and they knew this was their stop. Opening up the hatch, all six men parachuted out. They landed in a sea of chaos. What once was the quaint town of Smallville was now a desert wasteland.

Numerous bodies were strewn about, on the ground, atop houses, everywhere. Most, if not all, belonged to the townsfolk who resided here while the rest belonged to the men and women of the military. It was unfortunate, but none of them had time to check to see if there were any survivors as Naruto and his group were fired upon, though not by their fellow man, but by extraterrestrials.

Naruto spotted the first. It was tall, well, taller than any man on his side anyways. It was grey-skinned and reptilian in appearance yet humanoid; with four limbs, and six fingers. Activating his eyes, Naruto grimaced. Peering through the smoke, he saw their numbers. They were vastly outnumbered, clear and simple. Though they were not enhanced as he or Fury, the other four came to the same conclusion. He looked at all of them.

Before he could offer some words of encouragement to his men, one of the aliens approached from the front, a metal pole in it's hands. Forcing him to act, Naruto removed his kōdachi, blocked the incoming strike, pushed the creature back, surprising it with his strength, and then slicing it in half.

"You see men! Even those from other worlds can bleed and die!" he shouted. "Let's show these aliens why they chose the wrong planet to invade!"

Actions usually speak louder than words, though in this particular case, they both did. His impromptu speech, and recent action, was what they needed as the hopelessness they were feeling a second ago was now leaving. They pulled out their firearms, all of them ready to fight until they're dying breath.

Seeing as he was the only one fully enhanced, he was relegated to close quarters combat. The rest of his team were going to support him from afar. Fury understood this as he remained behind with the rest of the men.

Lifting his blade, he charged forward to meet the opposition. The first stepped into his area, and was dead before it knew what happened. Looking at the rest of the aliens, his sharingan was spinning like mad, he smiled maniacally, making a few step back. Those who had gained the courage began to step forward once more, only this time they were giving him a wide-berth.

Naruto suddenly cursed under his breath. A few of them were raising their metal spears like a firearm. They were in a formation he recognized, but not one often used in times of battle. Not since days long past. Tactical history aside, he needed to stop them before they fired as he wouldn't be able to deflect every blast. Driving his blade into the soft dirt, he began to weave his hand-seals.

 **"** _ **Doton: Doryūheki (Earth-Style Wall)!"**_

A massive wall of stone rose from the very earth itself, and protected those on one side while denying those of the other. Never having seen sorcery like this before, the invaders cautiously approached the wall, but soon found that they could not move. Looking down at their feet, they noticed they had walked into some form of liquid that had adhesive properties.

 **"** _ **Raiton: Jibashi (Electromagnetic Murder)!"**_

The invaders heard the primitive of this planet speak once more, but whereas they expected yet another feat similar to the first, it was completely different. The element of lightning burst forth from the other end of the wall, and it tore through them like paper. Those lucky enough to have paused advancing bore witness to a gruesome sight.

"Open fire!" ordered the blonde, capitalizing on the invaders moment of hesitation. He rushed forward once more.

He could hear, and on occasion, feel, the bullets whizzing right by him as he cut down yet another of the alien invaders. His plan was simple. Kill those who were riddled with bullets first, and then aim at herding the group to a more favorable position for his team using his unique skills. The plan would've worked if not for one problem.

' _There's no end to them...'_

For every five he and his team eliminated, another ten took their place. It was never-ending. At the rate they were going, ammunition would run out in less than five minutes. He needed to take this up a notch. Sending more chakra to his eyes, he activated his mangekyō.

 **"** _ **Amaterasu (Heavenly Illumination)!"**_

Black fire emerged forth from his right eye, roaring at the sight of it's next victims. It devoured all who stood in it's path, and it did not stop, spreading wider and wider. A frown marred Naruto's face as he watched the flames of heaven do their job. It still wasn't enough. More and more just kept appearing.

' _They have to be coming from somewhere. We need to find-'_

"Argh!"

His train of thought came to a screeching halt as he turned to see where the scream had come from. It was from Fury, Dugan, and Jones. The invaders had somehow gotten behind him, and they had killed both Morita and Dernier. They were advancing on the remaining three men. Not about to let anymore die, he pulled out ten shuriken, one between each finger, and let them fly. While each weapon hit their respective targets, he rushed back, and stood between his men.

"Get closer to me!" he ordered. Doing as told, the three remaining men were slowly beginning to get enveloped by something strange, but it didn't stop there. Very large bones began to manifest around them as well.

"W-What the hell!?" Dugan, much like the others, was confused as hell.

Before any of them could ask what the hell was going on, even more bones appeared. This time it was a pair of arms, and it was with those two limbs that their director began to smash the alien menace into a blood mess on the ground.

"Fury, Dugan, Jones." The three men heard their names being said by the blonde. "It's been an honor fighting alongside each of you, but I'm afraid this is where we part." he said. "...I'll create an opening for the three of you to escape-"

"No!"

"I refuse."

"If you think I'm just going to leave you here director, then you don't know me very well."

Naruto grit his teeth in frustration. "This isn't up for debate!" he snapped. "I'm killing as many of 'em as I can, but they just keep coming, and I won't be able to keep this up forever." he said. "I'm giving you three your last orders. Escape, live, and then rally the troops to kill every single last one of these bastards."

Before any of the men who now made up the Howling Commandos could speak, all four men heard an explosion, and watched as it kept happening behind enemy lines. That was when both Naruto and Fury heard the sound of propulsion. Looking up at the sky, they spotted a man on jetpack, and watched as he killed the invaders with technology neither of them recognized.

The blonde had a frown on his face, but not because of the unknown man, no, he always appreciated help, especially in dire situations. No, what had him frowning was the sudden reversal of the aliens. Their behavior had gone from ruthless advancement to hasty retreat, and it wasn't because they were losing. Whatever the reason, the man on jetpack was the cause of it.

' _Hm?'_

He noticed something else that was odd. Their mysterious savior was not mowing down aliens by the droves, but in patches. He noticed the man, or woman, was slowly making their way towards the back of the invading force.

' _That's it!'_

Naruto knew what was going on. The aliens weren't retreating because they were losing, but because they needed to protect something. Whatever it is must be extremely valuable to them. They needed to get over there as well.

"New plan. Follow the aliens and destroy whatever it is they're protecting!"

Only Fury had caught on to what the man was saying, and he filled the other two in quickly. Most of the opposition that would have halted their progress was either dead, or dying, so advancing to their location was much easier. Though they did come across a few stragglers, but they took care of those. Finally catching up, they all got a good look at what the invaders were protecting. It was a portal.

Unlike his fellow enhanced human, Naruto's eyes allowed him to see more, a lot more. Peering into the portal, what he saw took his breath away. It was an entirely different civilization. Invaders they may be but even he could admire what he was seeing. He was seeing another world's past, present, and future. Unfortunately, as much as he enjoyed spectating another world's culture, he still had a job to do.

"Use everything you've got to close that portal."

"To late, director." said Fury. "Looks like our mysterious friend up there beat us to the punch."

Hearing that, the blonde, along with the other two, looked up into the sky. It was true. Their savior was doing something. They saw him toss something the size of a baseball inside of the portal, but just as he did that, he got tagged from behind. One of the metal spears had entered through his back and come out the front. He crash landed near the portal.

"Shit! C'mon!"

The blonde and the others began to kill what was left of the alien menace before running over to the downed man. That was when they all heard it. An explosion. Looking at the portal, all of them peered inside, and saw something horrible. The alien planet that was inhabited by these invaders was going up in flames. The next few seconds is something that will stay with these four men for the rest of their lives, as they silently watched a planet and her people cry out for help before those cries were snuffed out, forever. They had just witnessed genocide.

Turning away from the burning portal, they looked down at their mysterious savior, an older man. All of them could see the wound was fatal, but none had the heart to tell him.

"How's it look?" he asked, looking at Naruto and Fury.

"I've seen worse." answered the blonde, with the one-eyed man agreeing.

The older man laughed. "Haven't we all." he said, coughing up blood. "Damn, this hurts something fierce. Didn't think the Chitauri would have been the ones to do me in." he mumbled to himself. "Kinda always thought it would have been the Skrulls." He looked at Naruto and Fury seriously. "Watch out for those, the Skrulls, those son's a bitches are liable to invaaaaggghhh..." The word died on his lips but they all knew what he was going to say.

No sooner had the old timer kicked the bucket did another man coming running out. It was a man they were all familiar with. It was Howard Stark. The genius inventor completely ignored them in favor of the dead man on the ground.

"Oh damn. I didn't think the Chitauri would be the ones to kill him..."

"Neither did he apparently." said Naruto. "Who is this man, Stark?" he questioned. He did not receive an answer. He decided to ask a different question instead. "What is the name of the man who just saved not only our lives, but the lives of every human on this planet?"

"...Help me move his body back to base, and I'll explain everything there."

The four men didn't really have much of a choice. If they wanted answers, they would have to help him.

* * *

 _ **~Two Hours Later~**_

After they had secured the body, along with Dernier and Morita's, and safely storing them away within Stark's flying car, they then took a two hour, uncomfortable and awkward, car ride to his secret base. Where he said he would answer their questions.

"Okay. So this wasn't the first invasion that's been repelled, not by a long shot." he started. "For every encounter like the one you were all apart of, there are about ten others you don't hear about because the invaders never got to set foot on our soil." he said. "It's all because of men like Woodrow McCord. The man you all had the honor of watching die today."

The four men of SHIELD bowed their heads in respect of the deceased man and his sacrifice.

"You see gentlemen, up there, those are the Rocky Mountains, where good ole America is, but down here, there is no government." he explained. "Down here, there was just a man. A man who guards the wall between us, and annihilation."

Stark began to walk deeper into the base, prompting the others to follow. Along the way, he began to show them all sorts of technology, some he'd built, others that were built long before him.

"So all of this was for McCord?" inquired Fury.

Howard nodded. "Sure was. All of it belonged to a man who didn't work for me, or a government, but who worked for the planet."

"Since you have all this tech, and state McCord has stopped other invasions, that must mean you have alien tech as well, right?" asked Naruto.

The genius inventor nodded. "I do, but most of it is just scraps of what I collect." he said. "Though it may not function anymore, it still does serve a purpose. It teaches us about our enemy. Information is our greatest weapon against them. Wouldn't you agree?"

All four men of SHIELD nodded, agreeing with Stark's statement.

"Listen and listen well gentlemen. There must always be a man on the wall." he said, stressing this as much as he could. "A man who will do what is necessary to protect humanity from the horrors that are invisible to us, to ensure that no one who inhabits this beautiful planet need ever know he even exists."

He then looked at all four of them square in the eye.

"So I ask you, Nicholas Joseph Fury, Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader Dugan, Gabriel Jones, and you Nathan David Rogers..." he paused for a second. "...Just how much do you love your planet?"

Every single one of them knew what he was asking. It was a no-brainer for Fury, who told him he loved his planet, immediately joining. It took Naruto a bit longer to answer, but he to eventually agreed with Fury. The last two men did indeed love their planet, but they weren't as willing to join as the other two.

"We aren't like the two of you." said Dugan, looking at his director and Fury. "We're just a bunch of regular schmoes who fight regular guys, not aliens and stuff."

Stark sighed when hearing their answers, but he understood. What he was asking was not something to be taken lightly. "Understood." he said. Howard then walked over to the two men, with a small object in his hand, and suddenly pointed it at the two of them, making them fall unconscious. He looked at the other two. "I apologize for doing what I did, but I cannot, will not, have anyone who is not in the know risk this operation. I'm sure the two of you understand why I had to wipe their memories clean of this."

Neither the blonde nor the one-eyed man enjoyed seeing what Stark had done to their friends, but they understood where he was coming from. It was a necessary evil. They gave Stark a nod, who returned it.

"Good. Come on, let me show you the rest of the base."

The two agents of SHIELD trailed behind Howard, their jobs as men on the wall just beginning.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Ten**_

* * *

 ** _REVIEW_**


	11. Chapter 11

**_Brothers Of A Different Kind_**

 ** _Here's the eleventh chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy._**

* * *

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel._**

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

" _You see gentlemen, up there, those are the Rocky Mountains, where good ole America is, but down here, there is no government." he explained. "Down here, there was just a man. A man who guards the wall between us, and annihilation."_

 _Stark began to walk deeper into the base, prompting the others to follow. Along the way, he began to show them all sorts of technology, some he'd built, others that were built long before him._

" _So all of this was for McCord?" inquired Fury._

 _Howard nodded. "Sure was. All of it belonged to a man who didn't work for me, or a government, but who worked for the planet."_

" _Since you have all this tech, and state McCord has stopped other invasions, that must mean you have alien tech as well, right?" asked Naruto._

 _The genius inventor nodded. "I do, but most of it is just scraps of what I collect." he said. "Though it may not function anymore, it still does serve a purpose. It teaches us about our enemy. Information is our greatest weapon against them. Wouldn't you agree?"_

 _All four men of SHIELD nodded, agreeing with Stark's statement._

" _Listen and listen well gentlemen. There must always be a man on the wall." he said, stressing this as much as he could. "A man who will do what is necessary to protect humanity from the horrors that are invisible to us, to ensure that no one who inhabits this beautiful planet need ever know he even exists."_

 _He then looked at all four of them square in the eye._

" _So I ask you, Nicholas Joseph Fury, Timothy Aloysius Cadwallader Dugan, Gabriel Jones, and you Nathan David Rogers..." he paused for a second. "...Just how much do you love your planet?"_

 _Every single one of them knew what he was asking. It was a no-brainer for Fury, who told him he loved his planet, immediately joining. It took Naruto a bit longer to answer, but he to eventually agreed with Fury. The last two men did indeed love their planet, but they weren't as willing to join as the other two._

" _We aren't like the two of you." said Dugan, looking at his director and Fury. "We're just a bunch of regular schmoes who fight regular guys, not aliens and stuff."_

 _Stark sighed when hearing their answers, but he understood. What he was asking was not something to be taken lightly. "Understood." he said. Howard then walked over to the two men, with a small object in his hand, and suddenly pointed it at the two of them, making them fall unconscious. He looked at the other two. "I apologize for doing what I did, but I cannot, will not, have anyone who is not in the know risk this operation. I'm sure the two of you understand why I had to wipe their memories clean of this."_

 _Neither the blonde nor the one-eyed man enjoyed seeing what Stark had done to their friends, but they understood where he was coming from. It was a necessary evil. They gave Stark a nod, who returned it._

" _Good. Come on, let me show you the rest of the base."_

 _The two agents of SHIELD trailed behind Howard, their jobs as men on the wall just beginning._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Six Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **October 31st, 1964**_

Naruto inhaled a lungful of air, and exhaled as he stared down his three targets. It was currently All Hallows Eve, and he was currently in the continent of Europe, specifically Romania, and the region of Transylvania. He was here on a mission as one-half of the men on the wall.

The other-half of this dynamic was currently in Vietnam. Now, he didn't quite know the specifics behind the one-eyed man's mission, but that didn't mean he was in the dark about it either. Assigning missions to which operative is one of Stark's many roles as their benefactor, and it was because he was in charge of mission deployment that neither operative ever knew of the others mission.

Stark reasoned it was better this way. Why? Because if one of them were to ever be compromised in the line of duty, then not only would it protect the other operative, but the overarching mission as a whole. That being said, there were times, rare as they were, when Stark informed each operative of the others mission. He did this for a very specific reason. If one of them died while on duty, and depending on just how important the mission was, the other would have to step in and pick up the slack.

All he knew of Fury's mission was that he was in Vietnam, and he was investigating a hotspot the locals called the Temple of Cyttorak. That was all he knew. So with that, they had been shipped out, though he had managed to pull Fury aside before they left. Reason being because he had another mission for the man.

While their job as men on the wall was to protect planet Earth's best interests, their jobs as men of SHIELD was to protect America's best interests, and that meant getting involved in the war. Though what he was asking of the one-eyed man was far from what most would assume. He was not asking the man to fight on the frontlines, no, he was asking him to assist their military subtly, both externally, and internally.

The first part of the mission was easy, helping their brothers and sisters in arms here and there. It was the second part that would prove a bit more difficult. He would have to look in on their own military. One, for potential recruits, and two, because he had a sneaking suspicion Hydra was somehow behind this war. He felt this way for a very simple reason. If they could infiltrate a country as powerful as the United States, then they could easily do the same to Vietnam.

Taking another deep breath, he exhaled, and shook his head. He was focusing far to much on a mission that wasn't his. He needed to focus on the here and now. Using his vast resources and connections, the genius inventor had come to learn of the existence of a very nasty virus, one that was currently making it's rounds throughout Transylvania. If not contained, it would eventually spread all over Europe, then to America, and eventually the planet. The virus itself was supernatural in origin, since he wouldn't be here otherwise, and it had him dealing with something straight out of a Bram Stoker novel.

Vampirism.

Now, he didn't have nearly as much experience as his one-eyed counterpart did, being a man on the wall, since he had other responsibilities, but he was no slouch either. Just two years ago, while in Cuba during the missile crisis, various sightings of an unknown using strange weaponry, possibly alien, had been reported, and it warranted a look.

What he found was quite possibly one of the most troublesome enemies he's ever come across. A green-skinned alien woman who was beautiful as she was deadly. There was no conversation between the two of them, no questions asked, just pure instinct as they battled against one another. The woman he faced that day two years ago not only held more combat experience than him, but far more skill as well.

He was outclassed that day, pure and simple, and that stunk! He could handle being outclassed when it came to people like Sersi, or Sentry, but this woman fought him up close, blade to blade, hand-to-hand. He prided himself on his swordplay and hand-to-hand combat. For her to best him at both made him feel very small. However, it was also a learning experience. Not once would he have believed advanced alien races to actually use swords as weapons. With their type of tech, he thought they would all be using energy based weaponry.

Anyways, the only reason he was able to keep pace with her was because of his eyes, and the unknowns they presented her. Such as being able to enter her mind for a few brief seconds, gleaming a very small portion of information from her. Such as her name and purpose for being on the planet.

Her name was Gamora, and she was searching for the Tesseract.

That particular item was a very sore spot for him. After the war ended, and he became the head man of SHIELD, he was made privy to all sorts of things, like what actually happened to his brother. Of course it involved the Tesseract. It was only after learning what he did on the cube-like item that he had begun to connect the dots. The Tesseract was the anchor Kaguya had sent him to retrieve from that old viking village Johann burned to the ground.

He hoped for it to remain where it had been since his brother had first crashed the fighter plane, at the bottom of the Southern Ocean. Unfortunately, as he was biased, his opinion mattered very little in the grand scheme of things, and Stark was ordered to make a concentrated effort to locate and recover the cube.

His feelings on the Tesseract aside, after the green-skinned beauty retreated to wherever it was she had come from, he spent a few days searching for her, but then decided it was time to leave as well. Just as he was leaving however, he got sidetracked. With what? Well, he come across quite a peculiar scene on one of Cuba's many beaches.

He found himself watching a group of young-men and young-women fighting one another, and all of them were superhumans, or they were all mutants. How did he know this? All of them just happened to be openly using their abilities to do battle. He had seriously contemplated eliminating a few of them. Specifically the one who was controlling various metal objects, and the blue shape-shifter, but he held off.

Why? Three reasons actually. One, because he didn't want to kill unnecessarily, as they were not part of his mission. Two, he didn't want to attract the rest of them by killing two of them, and enter a fight he possibly wouldn't win. Finally, he didn't want to sour his mood further after the whole situation with Gamora, and the Tesseract. He had decided to take a gamble on them, and could only hope it paid off. If it didn't, then he and they may be meeting again one day.

Shaking his head of memories long in the past, he looked down the scope of his prototype sniper rifle. The three bloodsuckers in his sights had just begun with their debaucheries. One was male, and he was openly feeding on a young-woman between the ages of twenty and twenty-four. The other two were of the opposite gender, and they were beginning to rape a teenage boy.

Steeling his emotions, he steadied himself, took aim, and opened fire. He watched in silent satisfaction as the male vampire's head was torn clean off his shoulders, and watched as the rest of his body went up in flames, turning to ash.

' _Not to self: Thank Stark for the ammunition infused with holy-water.'_

Unfortunately, while his sniper rifle was a powerfully advanced prototype created by Stark, with an attached suppressor, the other two still heard the gunshot ring-out, and were moving towards him, fast. Calmly expelling the used shell, and locking the bolt, he took aim once more. The two bloodsuckers remaining thought they were being smart, moving in a serpentine-like fashion, making it harder, but it didn't matter.

If his normal eyes could see them easily enough, and his sharingan was allowing him to predict where they were going to be next, then they stood absolutely no chance against his mangekyō. Aiming where one of them was going to be, he fired once more, and killed his second vampire.

Once the third creature of the night saw it's comrade die, it sped up it's movements, making them look unpredictable, and would be on him in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately for the vampire, he still had his mangekyō activated, and he simply focused on the moving target.

 **"** _ **Kamui (Authority of the Gods)"**_

The space around the advancing vampire suddenly began to distort, and before she knew what was going on, she was decapitated, her head nowhere to be found. Almost like it was erased from existence. No, not from existence, it was currently in his pocket dimension, and it would remain there until he decided to get rid of it, like now. Or he would have if it hadn't burst into flames and turned to ash like the body did just a second ago.

Shrugging off the semantics of how she died, he collapsed his sniper rifle, which he dubbed the Black Widow, and went to check on the two victims. The female was dead, clear and simple. Drained of most blood within seconds. Closing her horror stricken eyes, and seamlessly removing head from body, since he didn't know for a fact if she would turn or not, he muttered a pray for her, and burned the body. He moved onto the boy, who had remained in place after he killed the two female's.

He was still alive, and he didn't appear to have been bitten anywhere, so that was good. That being said, just one glance told him the boy was completely traumatized by the violent experience. He wasn't even looking at him, and was just staring off into nothingness. He had to help him.

"Boy..." he said. Nothing. "Boy!" He was more forceful the second time. That seemed to snap the boy out of his stupor, as he looked at him. "What's your name?"

"M-Makarioa Morbius sir..."

Naruto nodded. The boy was making great progress if he was able to talk. "Listen, and listen well. I'm going to help you, Morbius." he said, but yet again received no response. "Morbius!"

The blonde let out a sigh. It was no good. The glimpse of hope he was just shown had been snatched away. Morbius had reverted back into staring at nothing. It was then that he decided on something. His eyes were still active, so he proceeded to not only hypnotize the boy, but cast a long-lasting illusion on him as well. He hypnotized him into forgetting tonight's events, and seeking out medical attention. The illusion was a subtle order for him to live. The mind worked in mysterious ways, as he didn't know if he would ever recall tonight's events or not. If he did, then Morbius just may attempt to do something to forget the memory, and that's where his order came in. It was insurance.

Though now that he thought about it, perhaps it would be better if he took Morbius back with him, so he could get checked out by his scientists at lease. Before he could stop him from following the subtle order, he heard clapping coming from behind him.

Calmly standing back up, he turned around and cautiously waited to see who this mysterious clapper was. Out from the shadows emerged five figures, three male, and two female. Out of all of them, he felt the one clapping to be the most dangerous, and that was for two reasons.

One, his appearance told him that. He was by far the tallest, easily standing over 7'0, and probably came in at over 700lbs. The armor on him helped in that regard, as did his gray skin, blue lines over his face, and his red eyes looking down at him. The second thing that told him this man was dangerous had nothing to do with the man himself actually. Rather, it was because of the being above him, looking down at him, and the clapping mystery man.

It was the Watcher.

He dubbed this being as such because all he ever did was watch. He watched him summon Death to get rid of Kaguya. He watched him when he battled the Void. He watched him fight Gamora, and now he was watching the first ever meeting between he and the man across from him, whoever he was.

"What you did for the young human was commendable, but a futile endeavor in the end." stated the clapping giant.

Shifting his attention away from the Watcher, he focused on the giant, fixing him with a frown. "How do you figure?" he asked, not one to like having his efforts belittled.

"If the virus he came in contact with doesn't kill him outright, then he'll most likely commit suicide the second the second he remembers what happened, or if he begins to turn into the creature that violated him." answered the giant. "He'll be lucky if he dies a human tonight."

"How would you even know this?" questioned the blonde. "How do I know you aren't lying to me? As a matter of fact, just who the hell are you to tell me this?"

The giant took a breath, as if contemplating something. "...I have been called many things, over many lifetimes." he began. "Ra, Krishna, Yahweh, but you may refer to me as En Sabah Nur, the being who will bring about the Apocalypse."

' _Apocalypse?'_ Naruto looked at him strangely, wondering just what the hell this man was spouting. At the same time, he noticed the Watcher was gone. Before he could question why this was, the man giant man spoke again.

"You and I are similar, albeit different breeds." commented Apocalypse, revealing a bit about himself to the blonde.

While the other four standing beside the giant had no clue what he was referring to, Naruto did. The man in front of him was a mutant, and he was also technically correct as well. How he gained his own mutation was probably far different than how most usually acquired it, but nonetheless of how it was received, it was still a mutation, and he would still be considered a mutant, albeit a special one.

"As for how I know so much, well, this isn't my first time fighting the creature's of the night." he told his fellow mutant.

"That still doesn't explain how he could have contracted the virus. I saw no bite marks." countered the blonde.

Apocalypse shook his head. "A vampire does not need to bite you to infect you." he lectured. "It is by far the most common, but not the only way for them to transfer their disease. The trading of bodily fluids is another, whether it be from something as simple or mundane as a kiss, or as passionate as the act of sexual intercourse." he explained. "Point being, the boy is infected."

The explanation shut him up. Peering up into the red eyes of En Sabah Nur, he tried to figure out if the man was lying to him, but he couldn't tell. Internally cursing, he made to leave, so he could stop the boy from getting to far, but he himself was stopped before he could make it five feet. Though it was not the mutant who stopped him, no, it was one of the female's.

"While it is sad to see such a young life extinguished early on, you need to remain focused on the task at hand, and do what you came here to do, eliminate the vampire menace." she stated. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, unfortunately." she quoted, stopping him from going after the boy.

Not bothering to question her on how she knew what he was here to do, as they had all most likely seen him eliminate the three vampire's earlier, he instead asked a different question. "Who are you to give me orders on how I personally see fit to deal with this threat?"

"Ah, apologies." she said, bowing her head a bit. "My name is Rachel Van Helsing, the great-great granddaughter of Abraham Van Helsing, the vampire hunter." she introduced. "The reason why I can order you around on how to deal with this threat is because I know how bad this menace can be if not handled immediately." she said, recounting the tales of her great-great grandfather told to her by her teacher, Quincy Harker, son of Jonathan Harker.

Naruto was shut up for a second time in less than a minute. Even he knew the name Van Helsing and what it was synonymous with. If anybody knew what they were talking about, it would be someone from this family. Still, they could help in other ways aside from doing the mission. He was interrupted before he could tell her this.

"I sense no supernatural disease within the boy." said the lone black man within the group.

The super-soldier turned his attention to this man now. "...Who are you, and how would you even know this?" he asked.

"His name is Blade, and he has abilities similar to those of a vampire's, so he knows." answered the other female. "Ah, I'm sorry to have interrupted, but my friend here wouldn't have answered you had I not done so for him." she explained. "My name is Elsa Bloodstone by the way, I'm a childhood friend of Rachel. This here is my younger brother."

"Cullen Bloodstone." Introduced the young-man next to Elsa, giving him a nod.

"Bah! Whatever fate befalls the boy is no longer a concern of ours." interrupted Apocalypse. "Our only concern should be eliminating the vampire scum that has all but destroyed Clan Akkaba!" snarled the mutant.

"Never heard of 'em." said Naruto, not caring that Sabah Nur was frowning at him.

"As much as I hate agreeing with him, he is correct." said Rachel, not hiding the fact that she held no love for this particular mutant. "We've wasted enough time as it is." she said, before walking up to him and explaining something. "Clan Akkaba is a group made up of Sabah Nur's descendants. that's why he wants them dead."

"Okay. That answers that question, and why he's here, but it doesn't explain why the rest of you are here?"

"Van Helsing, vampire hunter, do I need go on as to why I'm here?" she questioned, an amused smile on her face when she saw him turn away, embarrassed.

"...What about the Bloodstone siblings?" he asked.

She shrugged. "They're family is deeply rooted in monster hunting, and they're my friends. Why would they not come when I need help."

"Okay, what about Blade?"

"Honestly, I don't know." she admitted. "The Bloodstone's and I met him along the way as we traveled in search of the vampire menace."

Naruto nodded, that's all he could really do at this point. "Okay, so just how are we going to go about eliminating this threat?" he asked. His plan, when it was just him, was to kill the head vampire as that was what the protagonist of the books he usually read did. Hey, they may be books, but every story has at least a portion of truth weaved within it's tale.

"We're going to march right into their den, and kill the head vampire." answered the mutant. "Though be warned. The foe we face tonight is an ancient enemy of mine. His name is one that all of you will no doubt recognize. For he is the lord of all vampire's...Dracula."

* * *

Naruto was currently wearing a scowl on his face, had been for the past five minutes or so. Okay, so he agreed to join up with this ragtag group, positive these experienced vampire hunters would put him in the best place possible to succeed in their mission, nope. The second they reached the den, which just happened to be an ancient castle by the way, they left him outside to deal with any stragglers still out in Transylvania. They told him it was because many of them would eventually be called upon to return and protect their master.

Van Helsing, their self-appointed leader, told him it was an important job, which he had no reason to doubt it wasn't, but he saw the uncertainty in her eyes, but not just hers, the others as well. The only exception to this was Apocalypse. He didn't know if he should be happy that someone didn't see him as a hindrance, or irked that it was only the ancient enemy of their current foe who saw him as a valuable member of the group.

He let out a shallow sigh, and shook his head. What's done is done, he had a job to do. He ducked underneath a swipe from an oncoming vampire, and simultaneously used his blade to remove it's head. His blade may not have been blessed in holy-water, or by a holy-man, but if it was good enough to kill beings of unimaginable power, then it was good enough for these creatures. Something was a bit odd though. Of the many he's killed since arriving in this hellhole, only three have burst into flames and turned to ash.

Now, he wasn't naive enough to believe every single stereotype about vampire's that's he's read over the years, but even those dead beneath his feet fit no description he's ever read about. For one, they looked far more diseased than the three he first killed, as their pale skin gained a near yellowish hue, and the veins of their body became more prominent on their skin.

It was almost like a dye was injected into their bloodstream, making it visible to the naked eye. Another thing, and perhaps the oddest about these bloodsuckers was their fangs. Instead of simply opening the mouth to feed, using their fangs, these vampire's did something different. They split their lower jaw in half, and were able to open their mouths twice as wide. Their tongues were also akin to a tentacle, but he didn't know why this was, and he felt better knowing than not knowing.

He let out another sigh. He had an idea, one he admittedly hated, of how he could attain the intel he sought. He would have to wait until more came bustling out of the forest surrounding the castle.

' _...Ask and ye shall receive.'_

No sooner had he thought it, more arrived. Four of them to be exact. The dim moonlight made it easy to spot their hideous eyes. He quickly got to work, killing three of the bloodsuckers with precision, and immobilizing the fourth. His jaw flexed as he looked down at the creature.

"...Let's get this over with, crawler." he said, looking at the vampire with no legs. His sharingan looked directly into it's soulless eyes. "...Gah!" Naruto flinched backwards after a few seconds, away from the monster. His breathing became haggard, and his face had lost some of it's color, but he got what he came for.

It appears that he and those inside the castle had been played for suckers, no pun intended. It was true that there was a monster commanding this undead horde, but it was not the one Apocalypse believed it to be. Hell, they weren't even dealing with real vampire's here, merely a variation of one.

After searching that thing's mind, and never being able to un-see what he did, he learned that these so called "vampire's" were actually an experiment. They were genetically engineered by some vampire scientist named Deacon Frost, whoever that was.

Well, whoever he was, this Frost vampire was trying to come up with a way to negate the weaknesses that normal vampire's suffered from on a daily basis; sunlight, holy artifacts etc. In his efforts, he had created the reaper strain, the virus currently spreading throughout the region. Subject-zero, who was currently in the castle, once used to be a human named Jared Nomak.

How did he know this? Well, turns out that every being Nomak feeds on, whether they be human or vampire, is left with an imprint of himself. If he had to describe it, then he would say it was like a hive-mind. Everything Nomak knows, his minions will know. It was a double-edged sword though.

Sure Nomak gains complete and utter control over his undead horde, telling them where to go or who to attack, but at the loss of potential information. It wasn't worth it in his mind. Granted, only those who could enter the mind was a threat, but people like that were becoming more and more common place in life. That wasn't all the bio-vampire lost. The motor skills of his minions was also lost. Though he chalked that up to Nomak being spread to thin in his control.

All that being said, most of what he's seen of these artificial vampire's so far would suggest that Frost has been able to accomplish what he set out to do. Not only were they as fast as the three he had killed earlier, they were damn strong to. The blessed ammunition for his sniper rifle did little more than slow these bio-vampire's down. The way he's been killing them was by removing their heads, and then burning the bodies immediately after. It was a tedious process, but it worked.

After learning all of this, a question popped into his head. If the vampire's he killed earlier that night were true vampire's, then what were they doing here? Amidst a region crawling with artificial ones. His question would go unanswered as more stragglers emerged from the woods, only to suddenly die before they could reach him.

' _What the?'_

"You did better than expected." Hearing the compliment, he turned around and spotted Rachel behind him. "If you're wondering why they suddenly died, that's because their lord is dead." she said. "The rest don't usually die after he is killed, but this was a special occasion. While inside, we learned of the foe we battled today, and just how connected they are to their master."

Rachel continued her explanation, and Naruto just nodded. There was no need for him to tell her that he already knew all of this. He noticed the others walking out as well. Out of all of them, Apocalypse was the only one who wore a scowl on his face, though that changed the second he saw all the carnage outside. He got an approving nod from his fellow mutant, and was then approached.

"You did as I fully expected you to." said En Sabah Nur. "With minimal effort no less. Truly, you are more powerful than first expected, and it is because of that power that I invite you to join me. Become one of my four horsemen, and gain even more power-"

"I decline."

The quick declination caught all of them off-guard, none more so than Apocalypse himself. An angry visage began to form on the giant mutant's face, as he appeared ready to retaliate, though it never came.

"...Normally, I would kill anyone who declined my generous offer, however, since you assisted me in vanquishing a common foe, I will allow you to live another day."

"Gee, I'm honored."

"However, the next time you and I meet, it will be as enemies, and you will die for the transgressions committed against me today." he vowed, and started walking away, making a mental note to acquire a celestial weapon of his own to go against the one his fellow mutant had on hand.

"...Jeez, what a drama queen." he muttered, and then looked at the others. "So, what are the rest of you planning on doing now that this is over?" he asked. This group of people showed him something special, and he wanted to present them with an invitation.

"I plan on continuing my hunt for a specific vampire." answered Blade, surprising the blonde.

"A bit more talkative now, aren't ya?"

"I apologize for earlier." said Blade. "I did not trust you or your skills, and had my reservations about you coming with us, but after seeing everything out here, I know I can at least trust your skills." stated the black man. "Trusting you on the other hand is a different matter entirely."

"Only way to build trust is by getting to know one another, and I know the perfect way." stated the blonde.

"Oh, and what's that?"

"The mission here is done, but who's to say that everyone bitten by Nomak died?" he questioned. "I plan on traveling Romania to find out, wanna come?" he offered, the first invitation sent.

Blade shook his head. "No, but I do appreciate the offer. Tell you what, you ever need help with a case related to vampire's, then give me a call. We can build trust then." he said, giving the blonde a card.

"I see, well that's to bad, but I'll make sure to take you up on that." he said. "And same to you, if you ever need help with something, anything really, just give me a ring." he returned, giving Blade a small piece of paper.

The vampire hunter nodded. "Will do. Good luck to all of you." he said, and was gone.

With one of the hunters gone, he turned his attention to the last three, the trio of childhood friends.

"So, what are the three of you going to do?"

The blood relative of Van Helsing shrugged. "Probably return home and continue to hunt for any supernatural creatures." she answered, the two siblings next to her nodding in agreement.

"Well, if that's the case, then I have a proposal." he brought up.

"And what's that?" asked Elsa.

"Join the group that I created."

"A group?" questioned the female Bloodstone. "What's it do?"

"Same as what you were going to do back home, hunt monsters." he replied.

"...Are you on the team?" inquired Rachel, because she liked what she had seen of his combat prowess.

The blonde shook his head. "No, I'm not." he answered. "I'm merely the benefactor."

Rachel wanted to ask another question, but was cut off by Cullen. "If you're not on the team, then who is the person in charge?"

"As of this moment, no one, but that's only because there are two members so far." he replied. "If the three of you were to join however, then the role of team leader would be put to a vote." he explained to the young-man. Though in his opinion, the leader would most likely end up being Rachel, seeing as she has the most experience hunting monsters.

"If we do join, then how are missions assigned?" asked Rachel.

"The undertaking of missions would be left up to the team leader." he answered. "The only time you won't decide which mission to take is when I call and ask you to take care of something that needs your attention." he explained.

"How often does something like that happen?" inquired Elsa.

"It doesn't happen often." assured the blonde. "So, other than that, this group is free to hunt whatever supernatural menace they want, given that's it actually causing harm." he added as a reminder. "So, what do you say?"

The three friends looked at one another, silently speaking to each other, and then looked at him. They gave him nods all around. Naruto had a large smile on his face, and clasped his hands together.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed. "I even have your first mission." he told them. "As you no doubt heard me state earlier, I believe there may be remnants of Nomak still alive, and that is your mission. Find the evidence to prove my theory wrong."

"And if it turns out your right, what then?" asked Cullen, as both Rachel and his sister looked at him like he was dumb, obviously already knowing what they had to do.

"Wipe 'em out." said the blonde.

"And once we're done?" asked Rachel. "I mean after we're done either proving you wrong or wiping them out, what then?"

"Once your done with the mission, then you're free to do as you wish." he told her. "Oh, and before I forget, take this." he handed her a small piece of paper.

"What's this, hitting on me already?" she teased.

Naruto snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. No, that right there is the only way of getting into contact with me and your other teammates. I suggest all three of you memorize it." he said pointedly, and all three got the message: burn that piece of paper once you were done with it.

"What are their names?"

"Makkari and Dr. Druid." he answered.

Rachel nodded, committing the names to memory. "Is that all?"

"That's it. Go get 'em, Monster Hunters."

The three childhood friends nodded simultaneously and were gone the second he finished speaking to them, leaving him alone amidst the sea of undead corpses. With those three searching Romania in his stead, he could afford to head on home, and not because he didn't want to remain out here to help. No, another reason, a more important one, needed his attention back home. The seals he had placed on the Void, he could feel him pushing more and more against them everyday.

It was unfortunate, but Izanami could only last for so long when dealing with the power level of the Void, about six months or so. Once those six months were up, he needed to re-cast the illusion on him again. The continuous push against the seals on the Void's body was a warning indicator to him, telling him that the illusion was nearly up.

 _'I better finish up here so I can start heading back.'_

With that thought in mind, he began to burn the bodies that had not been burned previously, and once he was done, he would head on back home.

* * *

– _**Eight Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **July 25th, 1972**_

 _'Ugh, I hate wearing monkey suits.'_ Thought the blonde, scratching at the collar.

He tilted his head to the side, and withheld a groan. He was currently standing in a very long line, in a place he never thought he would be returning to, all to greet one person. The blonde was back in the small nation of Wakanda, specifically the royal palace, attending the coronation party of their newest king, T'Challa.

Despite only catching a rare glimpse of the twelve year old boy when he lined up, he could see that the boy had been trained extensively by his father, both in and out of the throne. Speaking of T'Chaka. The man had not just decided to up and retire, no, he was dead. The royal house stated he was killed by a wild animal, during one of his many hunts. His sources said differently, in fact, they claimed it was an assassination.

By whom was the mystery, but the reason why was not. It was the Vibranium. The exact same reason he had come to this nation so long had once more killed a king, and left a boy fatherless. However, unlike his attempt, which succeeded, he didn't know if this assassin had acquired the precious metal or not.

Just thinking about it, even now, still put a damper on his mood, and he decided to change the subject before he wallowed in the torment of his decision that day. Instead he thought about the recent hire he had made, but not for SHIELD, no, this was a personal hire for him.

You see, his love for science and technology had never waned over the years, but seeing as he now had more responsibilities, he couldn't really continue pursuing that love. Which is why he decided to start a company. It didn't have a name yet, or a building for that matter, but it's purpose was clear. Gather like minded individuals, create, and help those in the world with those creations.

The name of his first employee was Nathaniel Richards, and the only reason he even knew about him was because he had met the young-man's father back in the day, during basic training. The man, John Richards, would often speak to him about his gifted son, and how one day, the name Richards would be known far and wide, and it would all be because of his brilliant son. Unfortunately, the man would not get to see his son's full potential, having died during the war, but that was okay, as his friend, he would do it for him in his place.

 _'...I wonder how Nathaniel is doing with that alien tech I gave him to study?'_

You see, while he had originally hired Nathaniel for his company, Stark had been contemplating doing the same, but with another reason behind that. To eventually replace him as the benefactor for the men on the wall. Stark wasn't getting any younger, and he recognized Nathaniel's intellect as a scientist and a creator, but what he needed to know was how trustworthy the man was. Hence why he was allowed to study the tech. Of course, the young-man didn't know it was alien in origin, and therein lied the test.

Naruto already suspected that Nathaniel knew the tech he was tinkering with was not made by human hands. So when he eventually found out, would he make his discovery public, or keep it to himself, and report his findings to the blonde, his boss, who would then inform Stark.

Naruto trusted his young scientist, enough so to fund whatever ideas he had swirling around in that brain of his, but not enough with this type of information. It wasn't because he was afraid of the man telling others, far from it in fact, it's just that these types of secrets usually found a way to leak out to the public, and that's the last thing they needed. Humans were strange like that. They had mostly no problems with people flying around in the sky, but mention aliens and everybody just loses their mind.

The technology itself was excavated from the moon, after the men of the Apollo 11 moon landing had discovered it. Their minds had been wiped clean of the discovery soon after. Before the technology was given to Nathaniel for study, Stark had informed he and Fury that the tech was reminiscent to other pieces he and Woodrow had discovered over the years. It belonged to three specific races.

Kree, Skrull, and Shi'Ar.

Aside from telling them who was involved, he also told them that judging by the rock samples that had been lodged within the tech, they had visited the moon thousands of years ago. That little tidbit of intel had been nagging at the back of Naruto's head, as it raised a whole slew of questions, though only one came to the forefront of his mind.

Just what were these alien races doing so close to earth that they left their tech on the moon?

His question would have to go unanswered as the line that used to be oh so long was now gone, and it was his turn to greet the king. Pushing his other thoughts aside for the moment, he put his game face on, and greeted the king.

"Greetings, your highness." he started, bowing. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki."

The young king nodded. "Uzu-ma-ki." he sounded out. "Are you from the orient?" he suddenly asked, before realizing his mistake. "Ah, I apologize, I did not mean to offend you with my question-"

Naruto raised his hand, stopping the young king. "No offense taken, and to answer your question, no, I am not from Asia." he answered. "I had a...lover from there though, and she named me thus. I come from America though, born and raised."

"I see." said the king. "Though if you were born in America, why keep using that name?"

"...Out of respect." he answered, thinking of his biological parents, a sad smile on his face.

"Oh..." T'Challa realized his mistake. "I apologize if I trudged up painful memories for you, that was not my intention."

The blonde shook his head. "It's okay. I've come to terms with my past."

The young king nodded, and looked like he wanted to ask another question, but didn't know how to because of his last one. Naruto did it for him.

"You wish to ask me another question?" the king nodded. "Go ahead."

"...Do you or your family hail from a noble line?"

Whatever question he was expecting, that wasn't it. "What makes you think that?"

"It's the way you move." answered the boy king. "When I first noticed you enter the room, it was your stride that grabbed my attention. It not only held purpose, but power. There were no wasted movements in your steps."

That entire explanation only served to put a smile on Naruto's face. While many at the party believed the young boy to be to inexperienced for such a position, he was anything but. Those sharp eyes of his that just detailed him were proof of that.

"As far as I know, my family has no noble blood flowing through our veins." he replied, though he was not entirely sure if this same claim could be said of his biological family, but that was a question for another day. "And the reason I can move so well, is because like you, I to have been trained."

"By your father?" asked T'Challa, a light in his eyes.

Naruto shook his head. "Unfortunately no." he replied, watching as that light left T'Challa's eyes. "My father was taken before he and I could do such things. I was trained by men who were like fathers to me though." he lied.

T'Challa nodded, a bit disappointed. For a second, he thought he had found someone similar to him. "I see, well, enjoy the rest of the party." he said, and watched the blonde walk off to the side, his eyes never leaving his back.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

The coronation party was still going strong as people were still lining up to greet T'Challa. Naruto on the other hand slipped away after mingling for a bit, and decided that now was the best time to start his other mission. The meet and greet with T'Challa was only a cover for why he was here. The reason he was here was the same reason T'Chaka had been killed, the Vibranium.

Though unlike the assassin, he was not here to steal it. In fact, all he wanted to do was make sure that it was safe, or as safe as possible. You see, after meeting with the Eternals in the savage land and not getting his hands on the anti-metal, he'd come to learn something very important. He did not always need to be in control of everything out in the world that could harm what he loved.

It applied to the situation back then, and it applied now. All he needed to do was make sure the depot of metal was safe and secure, and once he did that, he would be gone. With that being said, he started in the only place he knew to have ever held the metal.

The family portrait room.

The second he opened the door and entered the room, memories of that night came rushing back to him, hitting him full force. He could still hear the screams, smell the blood, and make out the exact spot where he had left Azzuri to die. He shook his head.

He had a mission to do. Walking to the biggest portrait in the room, he lifted it up and took a peek. It was solid concrete. The vault that used to be hidden behind the portrait was there no longer.

"I was wondering who it was that I saw enter the room." said a voice from behind the blonde,

Naruto did not show alarm at having been found, as he had heard footsteps approaching from behind him. He turned around.

"Apologies your highness, but I just needed to get away from the crowd." he lied. "It felt like I was going to suffocate in that room had I not left."

"Agreed." nodded T'Challa. "I slipped away for a bit as well, to get some fresh air. That was when I noticed you wondering the halls and entering this room."

The blonde bowed. "Apologies, I did not mean to snoop-"

"It's okay." interrupted the king. "You didn't steal anything though, did you?" he asked in mock seriousness.

"Nothing of value." replied the blonde, a grin on his face.

T'Challa let out a chuckle. "Thank you, Naruto."

"Hm? For what? Not stealing anything of value?"

The boy king let out another laugh. "No, for not only treating me as a king, but as a boy as well." he replied. "Often is it overlooked that I am a child no older than some of the guards children, and it is for this reason that I do not have many friends that I can laugh with. So again, I thank you."

"My pleasure." he said, and then looked at his watch. "Don't you think you should return-"

"Hey, I know, would you like to meet someone especially important to me?" asked T'Challa.

Naruto opened his mouth and abruptly closed it, giving the kid a nod. "Sure, lead the way."

After a few minutes of walking through the palace like maze, the boy king had led the blonde to a very secluded area of his home. When the door in front of him fully opened, he expected T'Challa to introduce him to a pet or something. Nope, he was way off.

"Naruto, I would like for you to meet the most precious person in my life. My baby sister, Shuri."

His mouth opened wide, and remained agape. Taking a precautionary step inside, he was immediately reacted to by the guards and nannies watching the baby. T'Challa called them off and gave him a nod to continue.

"...May I?" he asked.

The boy king nodded. "Go ahead."

The director of SHIELD tenderly picked up the baby and held her in his arms, looking at her sleeping face.

 _'So, this is what being a parent would have felt like...'_

Thoughts of holding his own child like this would often attack him whenever he came across a happy family out in the streets. He could usually keep those thoughts at bay, but they were hitting him hard right now.

"She's beautiful." he whispered.

"Thank you." said T'Challa, having heard him. "She is the last thing I have to remember my mother by." he commented, clearly missing his mother.

"She is going to be a beautiful young-woman when she gets older, but an even better warrior." he said.

That put a bright smile on T'Challa's face, and made the guards and nannies present swell with pride.

"I...Thank you for introducing me to her." finally said the blonde, gently putting her back down. "It means a lot to me."

"You are quite welcome, my friend."

Naruto nodded. "...I should probably be going. It's getting rather late, and I don't want to take up too much more of your time, especially when you're with your family." he said.

"Yes, it is getting rather late." assented the king. "And I need to return anyways." he muttered.

"We can talk more some other time, when you're finished with your kingly duty." stated the blonde.

T'Challa could only nod. "Then we will meet again when time permits us to. Goodby for now, my friend."

The super-soldier nodded, left the nursery, and eventually the palace. He would head back to his room in the city, rest for a few hours, and then continue his mission once night came.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

The moment night had descended upon the land of Wakanda, the blonde had shot off like a rocket. He still remembered the layout of the premises, easily snuck past the royal guards, and entered the royal palace. He'd been there for the past couple of hours now, searching for the Vibranium, and not a single piece had been found. This told him that they had either hidden it better within the palace, or simply moved it to a different location.

He was hoping they had just hidden it better, as he really didn't want to have to search the entirety of the nation. He groaned just thinking about the possibility of it being anywhere in Wakanda. Looking down at his watch, he let out a small sigh. It was currently four-thirty a.m, and he had nothing to show for his efforts. The sun would be rising in about an hour and a half.

 _'I'm gonna head back to my room and clear my head for a bit. I'll jump back on this tomorrow...Hm?'_

Just as he was about to turn in and get some sleep, he spotted a small figure running throughout the palace, and it was heading outside. Upon closer inspection, he was able to see that it was T'Challa.

 _'Just where is he off to so early in the morning?'_ he wondered. _'...Wait, could he possibly be going to check on the Vibranium depot?'_

One thought led to another and before he knew it, he was trailing after the boy.

* * *

He had to hand it to T'Chaka, the man had trained his son well. The boy king had been running non-stop since leaving his home, and that was a good hour behind them now. And where had he led them to? A smile tribe way out in the middle of the savanna.

 _'Is this where he hid the Vibranium?'_

Naruto watched the king of Wakanda slow to a stop, and eventually take a seat on a downed tree trunk. Not a few seconds later did another body sit down next to him. Using his eyes, he was able to see that it was a female, perhaps a year or two older, and they were talking quite animatedly to one another. He cut the flow of chakra to his eyes, not wanting to lip read anymore of their conversation.

The only thing he had caught before doing so however was the girl's name, a Ororo Munroe.

He let out another sigh, and looked up at the starry sky.

"I may not be able to pay either of you back for the pain and suffering I caused your family, but I hope watching over your son and grandson is a start." he muttered, thinking of T'Chaka and Azzuri.

Seeing as he was going to be here for a while, he got comfortable atop the tree he was in, and kept a vigilance over the two. He would search for the Vibranium depot another time. Today would be used to watch over the family of the two former kings.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Eleven**_

* * *

 _ **REVIEW**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**Brothers of a Different Kind**_

 ** _Here is the twelfth chapter of the re-written story. Enjoy._**

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

 _The moment night had descended upon the land of Wakanda, the blonde had shot off like a rocket. He still remembered the layout of the premises, easily snuck past the royal guards, and entered the royal palace. He'd been there for the past couple of hours now, searching for the Vibranium, and not a single piece had been found. This told him that they had either hidden it better within the palace, or simply moved it to a different location._

 _He was hoping they had just hidden it better, as he really didn't want to have to search the entirety of the nation. He groaned just thinking about the possibility of it being anywhere in Wakanda. Looking down at his watch, he let out a small sigh. It was currently four-thirty a.m, and he had nothing to show for his efforts. The sun would be rising in about an hour and a half._

 _'I'm gonna head back to my room and clear my head for a bit. I'll jump back on this tomorrow...Hm?'_

 _Just as he was about to turn in and get some sleep, he spotted a small figure running throughout the palace, and it was heading outside. Upon closer inspection, he was able to see that it was T'Challa._

 _'Just where is he off to so early in the morning?' he wondered. '...Wait, could he possibly be going to check on the Vibranium depot?'_

 _One thought led to another and before he knew it, he was trailing after the boy._

* * *

 _He had to hand it to T'Chaka, the man had trained his son well. The boy king had been running non-stop since leaving his home, and that was a good hour behind them now. And where had he led them to? A smile tribe way out in the middle of the savanna._

 _'Is this where he hid the Vibranium?'_

 _Naruto watched the king of Wakanda slow to a stop, and eventually take a seat on a downed tree trunk. Not a few seconds later did another body sit down next to him. Using his eyes, he was able to see that it was a female, perhaps a year or two older, and they were talking quite animatedly to one another. He cut the flow of chakra to his eyes, not wanting to lip read anymore of their conversation._

 _The only thing he had caught before doing so however was the girl's name. Ororo Munroe._

 _He let out another sigh, and looked up at the starry sky._

" _I may not be able to pay either of you back for the pain and suffering I caused your family, but I hope watching over your son and grandson is a start." he muttered, thinking of T'Chaka and Azzuri._

 _Seeing as he was going to be here for a while, he got comfortable atop the tree he was in, and kept a vigilance over the two. He would search for the Vibranium depot another time. Today would be used to watch over the family of the two former kings._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Eighteen Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **May 7th, 1990**_

"Ya know, I gotta say..." started the blonde. "I completely saw this coming a mile away. I'm just a little surprised it took you so long to actually go about doing it."

What the shinobi super-soldier hybrid was referring to was the simple fact that he was currently sitting in a chair, partially strapped, and getting his blood drawn, tested on even. Fury looked down at him.

"Had to get the right people for the job." countered the one-eyed man.

Naruto nodded. "True enough."

The blonde looked in the direction of the men Fury had hired to experiment on him, well, not him, but his blood. You see, the reason he was sitting down, getting his blood drawn without a fuss, was because he was no longer director of SHIELD. After forty-four years of service, he was now but a simple field agent, and if he was honest, this was better for him. Sure he did good behind a desk, but his real talent lay out in the real world, doing missions unencumbered.

That being said, while he was indeed an agent now, he still held more power in the organization than most field agents would ever see in their lifetime here. His clearance levels were still ten, both alpha and omega, and while he wasn't going to use them as often as before, he was still glad to have gotten to keep them. The new director he put in charge let him, though mostly out of respect.

That's right, you guessed correctly. Nicholas Joseph Fury was the man he had put in charge, he is the new director of SHIELD, and seeing as he was, all field agents fell under his purview. Even him. Hence his current predicament.

"So, who're the scientists you hired for the job?" he inquired, deciding to make small talk.

Was he mad that he was being treated like a guinea pig, having his blood drawn and tested? No, not in the slightest. Was he disappointed in Fury? You bet. The man knew he wouldn't have accepted doing this, so he made it an order. However, it's like he stated earlier, he saw this coming a mile away, plus he wasn't all that worried if he was being truthful.

Did he expect these scientists Fury hired to spot the super-soldier serum? No doubt. Did he believe the lot of them would be able to re-create it perfectly by studying his blood? Not a chance in hell. The most they would be able to identify was perhaps the building blocks that Dr. Erskine created, but that would be about it. Now, where these scientists took the knowledge that they acquire from his blood is the real question here. Would they be able to make it their own? Or would they crash and burn like so many others in the past?

Despite the scientists preparing to draw as much blood as he could afford to give, he still wasn't all to worried, and that was because aside from the super-soldier serum, he had something else in his veins. Which is where the crux of the situation lied. Fury made it no secret that he wanted to get his hands on the completed version of the super-soldier serum, but that wasn't all. Fact of the matter is, the one-eyed director wanted to know the secret behind what made him able to raise the earth, shoot electricity, cast illusions, etc. He wanted the secret behind what allowed him to do all this. What Fury wanted was the Infinity Formula.

Unfortunately for the director, that formula would not work for anyone other than himself, save maybe a child sired by him, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. So as it stood, the formula would live and die with him.

"Meet Dr. Henry Pym, biochemist." said Fury, introducing the first scientist.

Naruto followed Fury's line of sight and saw the back of the man, who much like himself was a blonde. He couldn't really see much else until the man turned around fully, but from what he had seen of him from the few seconds he turned sideways, the man appeared to be in his mid-twenties.

"Next, Dr. Robert Banner, nuclear physics and gamma radiation."

Following the one-eyed man's line of sight again, he spotted the man in question. He looked to be much older than the rest of the team, but that could be chalked up to a myriad of things. Stress, a severe lack of sleep, overworking, etc. Either way, he took a keen interest in this one, mostly because curiosity was getting the better of him. He wanted to see what he could do using gamma radiation and his blood.

"Next, Dr. Richard Parker, biomedical engineering."

Naruto was now frowning. He looked at his director, which felt weird saying. "Fury..."

The one-eyed man saw the look on the former director's face, and sighed. If one were to look from the outside, it would look like he was the one not in charge, but the blonde. "Yes?"

"Why is agent Parker here?"

"As insurance."

"Against what?"

"Traitors."

"So you think the three are liable to double-cross you, and what? Give their research over to a foreign nation?" he questioned. "These men aren't stupid if you hired them. They have to know what'll happen if they betray you, right? SHIELD isn't atop most government agencies just for show."

Fury nodded. "Of course they know, but it's not a foreign nation I'm worried about..." he trailed.

Naruto's eyebrows rose as he quickly caught the implication. "...You think they'd sell it to one of the branches of military in America?"

The one-eyed man tapped his nose. "It's no secret many government agencies hate us, so I wouldn't put it past them to try something. Which is why I have Richard, along with his wife, working undercover."

Richard Parker, along with his wife, Mary, are a pair of very talented individuals. Though their talents don't lie in the fact that they're both gifted intellectually, that was a bonus really, no, they're talented at gathering information. It's the soul reason why he had poached the two away from the CIA when he was still director. If anyone was selling information, those two will find out who.

Fury suddenly coughed into his hand. "Moving on. Lastly, we have Reed Richards, physics."

Out of all those present, Reed was by far the youngest, in his early twenties, but he also knew that out of all those present, he was also the most likely to re-create the serum. He was that smart, which was in part thanks to his old man, who still worked for him by the way. Speaking of Nathaniel, that reminded him of something.

"Are we almost done here, Fury?" he inquired. "Or do you still need more samples?"

Fury frowned internally. Even now as he stood here as the director of SHIELD, he still never felt like he was in control of a situation when the blonde was involved. It was irritating to say the least.

"We'll be here for as long as it takes, Naruto." replied the one-eyed man. "Remember, you're an agent now, and all agents listen to their director."

Naruto nodded. "True, but you also have to remember, not all agents have the same amount of pull that I do." he countered. "C'mon, be a pal. You should have more than enough samples for your scientists to play with."

Fury was now openly frowning. He then shook his head and let out a sigh. He knew the blonde wasn't being insubordinate, far from it, the man just wanted to leave already, and was using the fact that he held more power in the organization than most to do it. He was also using his respect for him to his advantage as well.

He was often asked by others who were close to him if he ever regretted allowing the blonde to keep so much power, and the answer was always the same. No, he doesn't. It went back to that whole respecting him thing, and boy did he respect the blonde. From the way he ran SHIELD to the way he protected the planet as a man on the wall. It grew after he became director. After becoming top dog, he was given access to the most secure files and secrets in the world, some of which were on the blonde.

The man sitting next to him was the biological younger brother of Steve Rogers, the, Captain freaking America! Plus, he had also undergone the super-soldier process, which is how he had found out about the serum in his veins in the first place. The next thing he learned, and no less important, was the fact that he had also participated in the war.

Now, he doesn't know the exact details of his mission, as even those were stricken from the records, but he did learn a few things. The blonde next to him had agreed to be dropped behind enemy lines, in the enemy nation, at the time, of Japan, and had fought in the war from there, alone. Couple that together with everything he's learned, and the man known as Naruto Uzumaki deserved his utmost respect.

"...Fine, you can leave." assented Fury, finally. "However, be aware that I may call you back to collect more samples in the event that more are needed."

"Roger that."

Easily tearing the strap off, he stood up and stretched. Naruto then began to make his way over to the locker rooms so he could change into something a bit more...professional oriented.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry anyways?"

The former director grinned at the current one. "Unlike you my grouchy friend, I have a life outside of the uniform, and I need to monitor it daily." he answered. "See ya!"

And with those words, he was gone.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

"Damn protocols, always slowing everything down..." he grumbled, finally leaving the building and making his way to his destination.

He appreciated all of the upgrades Fury had made to the Triskelion, which officially opened back up in 1988, he really did, but damn if they didn't slow things down. Especially that damn checkpoint between the entrance and the exit. Honestly, he swears that was only put in to stop people from running in the building. So what if a few people ran, time was money after all.

That old saying held true now more than ever, especially for him. It was still quite hard to believe, but Naruto Uzumaki was a bonafide businessman, owning two flourishing companies that have been on the rise since they opened eight years ago. Though all of the credit for that rise went to those who helped his companies get there. He merely provides them with a means to express their genius. His companies thrived, and would continue to do so, under such miracle workers, one of which was the first man he ever hired, Nathaniel Richards.

Nathaniel was not only working on some teleportation device that would transport matter, and then eventually living matter, to anywhere he wanted. If his invention was a success, then not only would it increase the reputation of the company, and Nathaniel as a whole, but it would be a huge contribution to the world. Because the first thing he thought of when applying this invention was hospitals. It would undoubtedly cut the time it took for a recipient to receive a life-saving transplant by about a hundred percent, if not more. That was not Nathaniel's only job however. He had passed the test given to him by Stark, and he was set to become the benefactor for the men on the wall. Once Stark stepped down, it was his show to run.

Richards was not the only scientist on his staff, he had two more, especially seeing as Nathaniel was going to be a lot busier in the future. He would have hired more than what he currently had on his own payroll, but with SHIELD and his job as a man on the wall, he just didn't have the time to scout out the talent. It was a shame to since he missed out on scientists like Pym, Banner, and Reed. That being said though, he was more than happy with the two he had hired.

The two he hired were in fact a married couple, a Jonathan and Merriem Drew, the former hired for genetics, and the latter for cell regeneration. The older couple even had a seven year old daughter named Jessica. He's met her a few times when she stopped by after school every so often. She was a very sweet girl, smart to.

In contrast to his first company, his second wasn't as big, though it did have the same amount of employees. There was a stark difference between the two though. It was the level of trustworthiness and respect the citizens of New York had for it. Reason for that was because his second company delivered reliable news to the people. That's right, his second company was in fact a newspaper firm called the Uzumaki Inquirer.

Neither of the two names he'd come up with for his companies were very sexy, flashy, or even all that imaginative, he knew this, but hey, they got the job done, and that's all that mattered.

Anyways, in the beginning, this type of business venture was hardly on his radar, and it only appeared after he had read some faulty reporting in his morning newspaper. How did he know it was faulty? It's because it was about him. He had been out one day, in his Kagebōshi persona, when he stopped a few street crimes. The newspaper, The Daily Bugle or something, had reported his heroics all wrong stating he was the one orchestrating the crimes. He could do a better job at doing their job was his thought process.

So, with that in mind, he decided to create his own firm, even if it wasn't as big as the others. The more he thought he put into the business, the more he really liked this venture, and unlike his competitors, he would be reporting nothing but the truth when he reported the news. Such a simple philosophy allowed him to play with the long game in mind, which for him was quite simple...

In order for one to control public opinion, one needed to control the information which they received.

He knew he was manipulating the citizens of New York, but he was of a mind that believed it was better to be over-prepared, than under-prepared. One day, he didn't know when, he believed something huge was going to occur, and when it did, people were going to rely on the news for information. And when they did, his word would be the one they believed.

Unfortunately, in order for this to work, he would need more views than what a newspaper offered. He needed to have his news broadcasted on the tube, to millions of viewers, or on that thing they called the internet. Though from what he knew of the net, it was still a work in progress. Either way, he needed more viewers, and that was where his other two employee's came in.

While he was the investigative reporter, and owner of the company, his former second-in-command at SHIELD, Peggy Carter, was his editor-in-chief. After she had retired from the life of an agent, she had mentioned to him that she might get a day job to pass the time, and so, he offered her this one. A job in which she was dealing with with information management, not unlike her last one.

His last employee was perhaps his most important, for his long-term plan at least. She was a real up and comer, a real go-getter. Her name was Elizabeth Brant, but she preferred to be called Betty. Anyways, the reason she was so important was because she was to be the company newscaster, the first ever for his company. Why her and not Peggy? Well, he would never say it to her face, but Peggy was getting up there in age, just like many other newscasters. He planned on staying ahead of that.

Betty had been shocked when he told her what her job would be, so much so that she actually began to cry in front of him. She thanked him countless times, letting slip in her emotional state that she had tried many other places before eventually coming to his. It had been during one of her many interviews for a job as a reporter that she had been turned down numerous times. One man had even gone as far as telling her that she would be better off as his assistant. The guy's name was something Jameson, a real jerk-off if he ever heard of one.

Either way, he had hired her soon after, partly because he was a sucker for an underdog, and because she was similar to him and Steve. She wanted the opportunity to be a reporter, much like they wanted the opportunity to enlist. She wanted to work in this field, much like they wanted to fight. No one was giving her that chance, but he would. One look in her eyes told him she had what it took.

He was about halfway to Uzumaki Enterprises before suddenly stopping, and reached up to the top of his head.

"Hm-mm, maybe I should get a haircut before I head over to the office..." he muttered.

After debating with himself for a few seconds, and standing in the road like a looney, he decided to take a quick detour to his favorite barbershop. It would only take a few minutes. After all, you gotta look like a million bucks if you wanna make a million bucks.

* * *

– _**Five Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **March 7th, 1995**_

An over-exuberant yawn escaped the lips of one blonde super-soldier as he slowly began to stretch his his stiff body like a feline, a few cracks being heard. Reclining up from his seat with satisfied smile plastered on his face, he began to rub the sleepiness out of his eyes, and then took a look at his watch.

It currently read 4:35 pm.

' _Damn, that flight took just over ten hours.'_

Peeking to the side, and out of his window, he could see that he'd finally arrived at his destination. The blonde shinobi was currently in the air, on his company jet, being flown into the land where they served you Fish n Chips, merry old England, specifically it's capital, London. Unfortunately, he was here on business, not pleasure. His business in the capital was to potentially make a new hire for his company.

Especially since Nathaniel Richards just up and vanished one day four years ago. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. He walked into the man's laboratory one day to speak with him, found his teleportation machine on, and no Richards. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened to the man, the only question that needed answering was where it had transported him to?

He'd done everything that was within his power to try and locate the man, but eventually, the next of kin needed to be notified that he was gone, and possibly presumed dead. Seeing as the man's wife was deceased, the next in line was his only son. That conversation with Reed was painful to say the least. The young-man was devastated at losing the only man to have fostered his insatiable thirst for knowledge. He'd vowed he would find his father, dead or alive. Not knowing how to follow up on that, he told Reed he had his full support, and left it at that.

With Nathaniel's disappearance, and all of his work being claimed by his son, the pressure had fallen to the Drew's to produce, and that wasn't fair towards them. To help alleviate the pressure, he went out and hired some new blood, a young-woman straight out of college. She has a PhD in Biomedical sciences. Her name, Elizabeth Ross.

A background check was preformed, as was the usual with new hires, and she was clean. Though he did learn something rather interesting. He's had run-ins with Elizabeth's father in the past. The man he was referring to used to be a Lieutenant Colonel, though now he's a Lieutenant General. Her father is Thaddeus Ross. That wasn't the only interesting piece of information he'd learned though. She also has a connection to one of the scientists hired by Fury. Apparently, she and Bruce Banner went to college together, at Harvard University. They would be monitored, just in case.

Anyways, while she would be working next to the Drew's, it would not be permanent. Ross was going to be moved to a different facility he was building in Harlem, a facility where she and her work would flourish, and help people at the same time since her field of study leaned towards the medical field.

While he felt Elizabeth was a great hire, she alone wasn't enough, not in his mind at least. If he wanted his company to keep expanding, especially into foreign territories, then he needed outside talent. That's why he was currently flying into one. The scientist on his radar was a Dr. James Braddock Sr.

He suddenly let out a sigh. He'd be lying if he said that was all he was coming out here for, when it was only half the truth. He needed to get away, to clear his head. Not only was Nathaniel gone, but so was another friend. Howard Stark, along with his wife, Maria, were dead, had been since '91.

Every news outlet reported it was a car accident that did them in, but he knew a hit when he saw one. The duo was assassinated, by who though was the question. Before he died, Howard had asked both him and Fury to watch over his son, Tony, who was now twenty-five, and running Stark Industries. Neither really saw the need to, as the prodigal son was proving to be just as business and tech savvy as his old man, so he didn't really need to be taken care of. That being said, the man had asked, and they as friends would comply with his request.

Feeling the jet starting to descend, he placed his tray in the up right position, sat back in his seat, and calmly waited until they landed.

* * *

 _ **~An Hour Later~**_

"Hm-mm, well, I certainly wasn't expecting this..."

The former director of SHIELD was currently standing in front of the gate that was barring entry into the manor owned by the Braddock Family. There was a problem though.

"What in the world happened to the manor?"

He didn't need to use his mutation to see that the large home was in shambles. The red paint job was chipping here and there, the flora had overtaken the entire front-yard, and most of the back as well. It wasn't abandoned or anything, was it?

"Are you a friend of the Braddock's?"

Hearing a frail voice sneak up on him, which was a feat in of itself, he turned around and came in contact with a little old man and his pooch. Studying him for a moment, as he wanted to know how the man snuck up on him, he eventually stopped. There was nothing noteworthy about this old man.

"Something like that." replied the blonde. "I was on my way here to offer James Braddock a job, or at least talk to him about one. What happened here?"

The old man sighed sadly. "Something no family should ever go through." he said. "It all started when the oldest child, Jamie, suddenly took his life. The loss of their first born drove both James and his wife Elizabeth into a deep depression." he explained. "So deep that even their two remaining children could not pull them out."

Naruto actually grimaced. He knew what it was like to lose a child, but to lose a child that you've loved, raised, and watched become a man? His pain did not compare to theirs. Not in the slightest. The old man continued.

"What little remained of the family just shattered when their only daughter, Elizabeth, had a nervous breakdown. She was promptly admitted into a mental institute." he said. "Then when their youngest son, Brian, suddenly went missing one day. The loss of all three children was simply to much for their hearts to bear, and the Sir and Lady of the manor passed on."

"...That is a lot to take in." said the blonde, eventually. "Such a fate upon one family." he muttered to himself. It felt like he was looking in a mirror, such was the fate of his own family.

The old man nodded. "Yes, but there is good news."

"What's that?"

"Elizabeth, the daughter, she's been making excellent progress as of late." he answered. "Enough that she can even hold a conversation with a person for more than ten minutes."

"Hm-mm, maybe I should drop by and offer my condolences..." he mumbled. He didn't know why, but he felt oddly compelled to seek this young-woman out. Whether it was because he felt sorry for her, or it was something else, he didn't know.

"That would be very kind of you." said the old man, having heard him. "I can give you the address if you'd like?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. Now that he thought about it, just who was this old man, and how did he know so much about this family?"

"That would be very much appreciated, mister...?"

The elderly man smiled. "Doctor actually."

"Okay, doctor...?"

"Essex." replied the old man. "You may call me Dr. Nathaniel Essex." he introduced, a kind smile on his face.

"So, what were you to the Braddock's?" inquired Naruto, digging for some info.

"I was a friend of James, and the family's personal physician." answered Essex.

"I see." The former director lowered his defenses a bit after hearing that. "How do you know how the girl is doing?" he asked.

Essex shrugged. "Seeing as Elizabeth is all that is left of my dear friend, I tend to visit her from time to time, to check up on her." replied Nathaniel.

Naruto let out a sigh. He was letting his paranoia get the better of him right now, and it was stressing him out more than usual. He gave the man a nod. "Do you still practice?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "No, not for a long time now. The Braddock's were my last patients. I don't think my old heart would last if such a tragedy were to happen again, so I stopped."

"I see, well, I won't take up anymore of your time. Thanks for the information." he said. He'd been contemplating offering the man a job, but decided against it. One look in his eyes told him the old man was done.

"You're quite welcome, young-man." said Essex. "Hopefully seeing a new face will put a bit of life into young Betsy's eyes."

The super-soldier could only nod at the old man's enthusiasm, hoping he was right. He bid the old man a farewell, and started following the directions given to him by Essex. Speaking of Nathaniel, his eyes were still locked onto the back of the blonde walking away from him. His very image began to flicker in and out of existence, and where once stood a kind looking old man and his pet now stood a completely different being.

The man stood at just six feet, five inches. He had jet black hair, unhealthy pale skin, dark red eyes with no pupils, and a strange red diamond atop his forehead. Razor sharp teeth shined in his mouth as he grinned.

"Experiment has begun, proceeding to stage one, first contact." he said to himself, watching his blonde target disappear into the distance.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

"So this is Morder Research Centre..." he commented. "For an institute specializing in diseases of the mind, it's not to shabby. Could use a new coat of paint though." he remarked offhandedly, bland white just wasn't very welcoming.

Done with his miniature inspection, he walked through the double-doors of the institute, and directly up to the reception desk. There was a single woman there, book in her hand.

"Hello, Grace" he greeted, having seen her name-tag as he grew closer.

Having heard her name, Grace looked up from the book she was reading, and directly into the bluest eyes she's ever seen. Placing her book down, she gave the attractive man in front of her the brighter smile she could muster.

"Good evening, sir." she reciprocated. "How may I help you on this lovely day?"

"I'm here to see a patient, and I was hoping that a beautiful young-lady such as yourself might help me in that regard." he said, putting on the charm.

A light tint of pink slowly formed on Grace's face. "...What is the patient's name?"

"Elizabeth Braddock."

Grace nodded. "Now, before I can give you the information, I must ask you a question." she said. "It's a standard requirement of the company. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Not at all." he answered. "Go ahead."

"Are you family? Or friend?"

"Family." he answered smoothly. "...I'm her cousin." He was about to say on her mother's side, but he saw no point in making more work for himself. Keep it simple and clean.

Grace stared at him for a good minute before nodded, accepting his answer. She then began to type on her computer, and started making small talk until she found what she was looking for.

"I'm glad to see some family coming to visit Betsy." she said. "Others could learn a thing or two from you." She stopped typing. "Here we go. Elizabeth Braddock, 6th floor, west wing, room 616. Oh, it says she's currently in a session with Dr. Ramsey."

"Who?"

"He's the institute's psychiatrist."

Naruto nodded. "If he's not done by the time I reach her, then I'll just wait outside. If that's fine." he said, sending Grace a bright smile.

She opened her mouth to say he should probably wait, but that smile just warmed her heart. She gave him a nod. "Just be quiet."

He nodded. "I can do quiet." he said. "Thanks for everything, you've been a big help." He started to walk away, towards the elevators.

The young-woman gave him a nod, returning his smile with one of her own. She sighed and sadly had to watch him leave, though the show wasn't that bad, seeing as he had nice butt. Sighing once more, as the show was over, she returned to her book.

 _'Up to the sixth floor I go.'_ thought the super-soldier, entering the elevator and pushing the button.

* * *

' _Let's see here, 605...610...and here we go, room 616.'_

The room itself was located furthest in the back of the wing, and in the corner of a hallway. Before he could knock on the door, he heard muffled sounds coming from the otherside. Leaning closer, he placed his ear on the door, and listened in.

"Very soon, that wonderful power of yours is going to bring about an age where the strong rule, and the weak die." whispered a gruff voice. "As it's herald, ultimately it will be I who will be praised by Herr Skull for bringing about such an age..."

Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he heard that last part. The Red Skull? In this day and age? He needed to put a stop to this, now. Barging into the room, he spotted two people. One of them was Elizabeth, who was on her back, looking up at the ceiling. The other was an older man who was sitting close to her, obviously whispering something to her. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was brainwashing her.

"What the hell are you doing!?" he snarled, his rage bubbling beneath the surface.

Before the doctor could react, he was on him, his hand wrapped around the man's throat in a vice grip like fashion, tightening every few seconds. Adding chakra to his eyes, he used his sharingan to sift through the man's mind, and he did not like what he found.

' _Hydra!'_

The struggling worm in his hand was part of the Hydra infiltration unit sent to London back during the war. How the man was still alive, or yet to be captured, was beyond him, but he would rectify that. He looked the old man straight in the eye.

"You survived the war, and this is what you do with the second chance you're given?" Naruto shook his head. "You and your kind don't deserve second chances, because all you'll do is continue spreading your hate. Begone from this world." he said, and in one swift motion, broke the man's neck, ending his miserable existence.

Having enough respect for the dead, he set the body down instead of tossing it to the side, like he had originally planned on doing. Closing the deceased's eyes, he walked over to the bed. Sitting down next to Betsy, he gently took her delicate hand into his, and looked her in the eyes.

"The monster is gone, forever." he said. "I made sure of it."

Having stopped her small struggle, as she did not know who this man was, or what he was going to do to her, a small tear rolled down the side of her face as she felt a gentle squeeze on her hand. Her eyes traveled up to meet the stranger's, and he gave her a reassuring smile.

"The drugs he was giving you will wear off in a few days." he said.

After sifting through Dr. Ramsey's mind, he had learned quite a few things. His brainwashing theory was in fact true, but it would hardly ever stick on the young-woman before him. Why? Because she was a mutant who had just awoken to her abilities. Hence the drugs. The drugs would constrict her body all over, leaving her with minimal to no control of her body and mind.

"For now, just try and get some sleep while I take care of the body-" He was interrupted as Betsy gave his hand a squeeze. "What, what's wrong?" he asked, worried. "...Can't sleep?"

Feeling the squeeze on his hand once more, it seems he guessed correctly.

"Hm-mm, that is a problem, because you definitely need rest right now." he mumbled. "...I might be able to help you fall asleep, just...don't freak out, okay?"

Another squeeze was his answer, and he began. Betsy's eyes widened as far as they could in her current state when she saw the blonde man's blue eyes suddenly turn red. She was absolute mesmerized by them.

' _...Beautiful...'_ she thought, before the sweet sweet embrace of sleep took her.

Naruto would have smiled at the serene look she had on her face, but he was far to busy trying to quell the massive headache that was attacking him right now. It didn't just come out of nowhere. It came after he entered Betsy's mind. The second he entered to place a calming illusion on her, and issue the subtle command to sleep was when he felt it, and it came at him hard.

Safe to say, he now knew what power the deceased Hydra agent was talking about. Elizabeth Braddock was a mutant telepath, and a very powerful one at that. That's why none of the brainwashing stuck. His headache eventually passed, and he took a deep breath. He looked down at her sleeping face.

' _...I can't allow her to stay here anymore.'_

Reason being because he not only wanted to protect her, but those around her. The drug given to her to constrict her body and mind would only last for so long. Once it became useless, as her powers would overtake it, what happened to him just seconds ago would happen to everyone in the institute. He did not want that to happen. Especially when the staff and patients weren't trained to handle such a mental attack.

He shook his head. He didn't even want to think of such a thing happening. It would be a massacre of the highest order. Activating his mangekyō, he transported the dead Hydra agent into his small pocket dimension, and then gently scooped Betsy up into his arms. He looked around the room for a solid minute, making sure there was nothing that could be traced back to her, and once he was satisfied, the two vanished.

* * *

 _ **~Two and a Half Weeks Later~**_

"Do you really have to leave already?" inquired Betsy.

After the two left the Morder Research Centre, Naruto had brought them back to his hotel suite, where he had taken care of Elizabeth until the drugs wore off, and she regained her strength. It was a tough first week for him since he's never taken care of anyone before, but he managed somehow. He believed wholeheartedly that the second week would be the hardest, but imagine his surprise when it wasn't.

There was a valid reason for that actually. It turns out that while he initially believed Betsy to be very mistrustful of him, as he was still a stranger to her, it was the exact opposite. She trusted him without question. Why? Well, when he ventured into her mind, to help her, she had taken a venture into his, and she saw who he really was, and just how much they were alike. They were both broken in one way or another. Both had lost their parents, both had a dead, and missing sibling. They had both suffered at the hands of crazy people.

The hardest part of the whole situation was keeping her powers from lashing out. It was during his time with her that he had designed a seal that would momentarily suppress them, without harming her. He would need to design another, a more powerful one, when he returned.

"I'm afraid so." he replied, sending her a sad smile. "But it's only for a little while." he added at the end.

"Remind me again, but why can't I go with you?" she inquired. "I don't exactly have much left here to hold me back from leaving." she muttered, arms wrapped around her knees.

"That's true." muttered Naruto. He sighed, and then sat down in front of her as their eyes met. "Do you trust me, Elizabeth?"

She nodded. "You know I do."

"Then I'm going to need you to trust me now." he stated. "I'm not bringing you with me because it would be difficult to get you into the country, no, I have another reason why."

"A reason you can't tell me, right?"

He nodded. The reason happened to be director of SHIELD, Nick Fury, and the reason he knew Fury would be all over them was because he planned on teaching Betsy how to harness that power of hers. If he knew Fury as well as he believed he did, then he knew the man would be spying on them non-stop. It was why he didn't want to bring her to America. A power the size of hers would undoubtedly attract Fury, and possibly others, to her, and he did not want that.

He knew Fury would back off a bit if he told the one-eyed man she was under his protection, but he would probably not receive the same courtesy from outsiders. His plan was simple. Once he returned to the states, he was going to have an area designed where her powers would not be felt, probably under the new home he just had built a few years ago. He still had his penthouse, but there were times when even he wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Anyways, once the room was built, he would start training her. Yes, that was the plan. For now, they would train at Braddock Manor.

Elizabeth sighed, but nodded. "Alright then. I'll wait until you return." she said. "How long are you going to take anyways?"

"Hm-mm, at best, three days tops." he replied. "At worst, perhaps a week and a half."

"Get going then, because the sooner you leave, the sooner you can come back." she said, smiling.

He gave her a grin. "I'll be back."

She snorted. "Your Schwarzenegger could use some work."

Naruto's grin widened. "I'll make sure it's up to snuff by the time I return. See ya later, Betsy."

"Later, Naruto."

As she watched him leave and close the door behind him, she slunk back down into the large bed, and remained motionless. A sigh escaped her lips. It hadn't even been thirty seconds, and already she was bored. Reaching over to the nightstand, she picked up the remote.

"I wonder if there's anything good on television right now...?"

* * *

As he left the suite, and made sure to pay for another month, just in case, he set his course for the airport. Along the way, he started spotting those posters again, the ones he'd seen when making his way over to Braddock Manor. They were for the coming Prime Minister elections.

He didn't have to as much these days, but he still kept his eyes and ears open when it came to foreign politics, because an ally today could be an enemy tomorrow. Anyways, none of the candidates really caught his attention with what their goals were once elected, except for one.

This candidate's goal once elected was something that would not only affect this country, but soon other countries around the world. Mutant registration.

Recently, and not just in America or the UK, but all over, more and more people who had the x-gene were being found everyday. He didn't see what the big deal was, but as per the usual standard, people were afraid of what they didn't understand, and when they didn't understand, or chose not to, they got violent.

If candidate James Jaspers got his way, at least in the United Kingdom, then the mutant population in this island nation could possibly dwindle to nothing in years. All because of bigots and racists. He made a mental note to look into this man when he returned to America.

* * *

– _**Two Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **September 15th, 1997**_

Deep in the heart of New York City, there stood a building. It wasn't magnificent, or even a significant building to the public, it was just...there. However, what lay inside of the building was a completely different matter entirely. There wasn't much inside, but what it did hold meant more to this country than anything else.

"Then there was this other time when..." trailed off an animated voice.

That animated voice belonged to Naruto, and the reason he was being so animated in the practically hollow building was because he was telling a story of his past. Though not to just anyone, no, he was telling this to someone whom he held in high regard, and loved very much.

His brother.

Yes, it's true, his brother had finally been found, and by the unlikeliest of people.

* * *

 _ **~Flashback~**_

 _Naruto was currently standing in the most secluded pier in the state, but he was not fishing, no, he was waiting. He had received a mysterious message a few weeks ago, telling him to come to this exact spot. Normally, he would have played it off as a prank, but this was sent to him directly, by a method he was familiar with, and only a select few people in the world even knew._

 _That alone put him on guard because the only people whom he was referring to were members of The Hand when he was apart of the organization. If the organization was still operating in the shadows, as it was a possibility since he hadn't heard anything of them in years, then chances were they would not be using such an outdated form of communication to contact him. Whatever their reasons for doing so. With that in mind, the list of possible suspects narrowed. Whoever sent this message was someone who had been apart of the organization when he was still a member._

" _So, you're the contact I'm supposed to meet."_

 _Hearing a voice, he turned around and spotted who it belonged. He had to control himself. Standing before him was the ruler of the seven seas, Namor. Since the half-Atlantean was here, it was clear to him who had sent the message. His fellow disciple, and one-time lover, Namora._

 _He took a deep breath, and exhaled. "That's right." he said. "...Now, what do you want?"_

 _His stiff tone had been misconstrued by the king. "I'd watch that tongue of yours, boy!" snarled the monarch. "It's liable to be pulled out for showing a lack of respect."_

 _That was not the right thing to say, as now Naruto's eyes turned cold. "You better be careful how you speak. We aren't on your turf. Up here, you aren't worth a damn." he said, enjoying the look of rage on Namor's face. "Now speak your business, king under the sea."_

" _Hmph, it's hard to believe that you are related to the Captain."_

 _That made the blonde pause in his small victory against the Atlantean._

" _What did you just say?"_

 _Now it was Namor's turn to relish in his victory. "Oh, what's this, didn't think anybody knew?"_

 _Naruto's jaw flexed. "...What do you know?"_

 _The Atlantean shrugged. "Only what Namora told me. She was the one who first made the connection between the two of you." he explained. "Unlike you humans," he spat. "We Atlantean's have superior senses, and she was able to discern the two of you were related by your smell."_

 _The super-soldier shook his head. 'It must have been when Steve and I were both in Madripoor.' he thought._

 _Another thought came to him. If what Namor said was true, and Namora had indeed discerned who they were by smell alone, then chances were Logan had as well. He shook his head again, only this time he felt a headache coming on. The whole situation with Namora knowing who he was related to didn't help._

" _...Just...Why was I told to come here, Namor?" he asked tiredly._

" _Because of this."_

 _Using his superhuman strength, the king pulled on a thick rope he had been holding since they started their conversation, and up came a large block of ice. Though that wasn't what caught the shinobi's attention. It was what was inside that did._

" _H-How?"_

 _He was looking at the body of Captain America, his older brother._

" _Even after all these years, you still look the same..." Naruto muttered, looking his brother up and down._

" _Yes, even I was surprised." added Namor. "The ice must have kept him perfectly preserved."_

 _The blonde super-soldier couldn't help but nod at that theory, though he also believed the serum was at play here as well. Whatever it was, he thanked the big guy upstairs for finally allowing them to meet again, after so many years._

" _Why?" he suddenly asked. "Why bring him to the surface when you could have easily kept him a secret? You would have held something over the surface dwellers."_

 _The king nodded. "Yes, I to thought of doing this, but then I thought about it more rationally. If the surface were to ever find out Atlantis had been holding their hero, then it could have led to war, and that is the last thing I want for my people." he stated. "...Besides, I hold to much respect for this man to ever do such a thing to him."_

" _I see."_

" _I also hold to much respect for my cousin to go against her wishes." Seeing the confused look on the blonde's face, he explained. "Namora was the one who asked me to bring Steven to the surface, to reunite him with you, because she respects you, and seeing as I respect her, I did as asked."_

" _I...Thank you." he finally said. "Give my thanks to Namora as well."_

 _Namor gave him a small nod of recognition to the request, and dove back into the ocean, gone._

 _Watching where the Atlantean used to be, the blonde let out a soft curse. In all his excitement, he forgot to ask the king under the sea a question that had been bothering him for some time now. Just what had happened to Namora after she left the organization on her long-term mission? Well, it was actually less of a question he wanted answered now, and more of wanting clarification._

 _After she had left, he hadn't been sure what had happened to her, but after hearing Namor speak of her just seconds ago, he knew she was okay, but it also answered the question. She was like him. A spy sent to monitor, and or destroy, The Hand. It wasn't coincidence that she just happened to go on a long-term mission, away from Japan, just when the atomic bomb was to be dropped. Either way, he supposed it doesn't really matter all that much anymore. He finally knew she was safe, and that's all that mattered._

 _Turning around from the sea, he walked over to the large block of ice, and placed a hand over it._

" _It took us fifty-two years, but we've finally met after the war." he said. "Let's go home, brother."_

 _ **~Flashback End~**_

* * *

The unbidden memory of their fated meeting brought a smile to his face. Sure that had only been a few months ago, but it still felt like it was yesterday. His brother had already been thawed out, but in order to monitor his vitals, he was placed in a hyperbaric chamber. The doctors who were responsible for making sure he woke up told him that Steve could possibly wake up in as little as a few days, or a few years. While he didn't like the uncertainty of not knowing when he would wake up, he still preferred that to what it used to be like before he was found.

"Now then, where was I..." he muttered, trying to recall where he left off. "Oh right, do you remember the company I told you I started years ago? Of course you do, well, recently, I hired three new people. One of whom I lured away from a major business rival."

He chuckled to himself clearly remembering that day.

"Oh man, I wish you had been there to see Osborn's face." he laughed. "I stole that scientist right out from under him. Boy, was he pissed at me."

Being pissed was an understatement. Norman Osborn had been furious with him, and had threatened to sue him for tampering. When that failed, Osborn had resorted to slandering his company, along with the threat of causing bodily harm to him, and his workers. Not that either would work.

"The scientist in question is Dr. Sara Ehret, she specializes in gene therapy." he said. "I had to travel out of the country for the second hire, to Scotland actually." he added. "I didn't know this until much later, but I ended up hiring a nobleman's daughter, a Moira Kinross. Put her in the genetics dept."

He wasn't going to lie, there was a bit of an ulterior motive when it came to Moira's hiring. Her field of study was genetics, but more specifically mutant genetics. She even had a fascinating theory about how some mutants could possibly develop a second mutation, or even pushing their original one towards new heights.

"...I'm sure you've noticed a trend here, Steve." he looked at his unconscious brother. "Most of those I've hired have been women." he said. "A reporter even asked me what I was thinking hiring nothing but women, not in a sexist way of course." he added. "I told him I can't help who I hire, because I only hire those with the best minds, and if all those just happen to be women, then so be it."

Hell, if he could have hired Reed Richards, just as he did with the young-man's father, then he would have. Speaking of Nathaniel Richards, nothing new had been found on his whereabouts, and many, if not all, in the scientific community had given up hope of finding him. Only he and the man's son were holding out hope.

The blonde sighed. He'd inadvertently brought down the mood with his thoughts on a former employee of his. His blue eyes suddenly widened, and a grin made it's way to his face. He knew something that would bring the mood back up.

"You'll love this next piece of news, Steve." he said in excitement. "...I recently purchased the Brooklyn Dodgers, though they don't go by that anymore. They're the Los Angeles Dodges now."

One of his many dreams was to own a sports franchise, specifically the Dodgers, because the baseball team represented many good times for him, not only as a child, but an adult as well. With him, Steve, and Bucky all catching a game from time to time. So when he had enough money, he bought the team. Despite them having moved, which wasn't all that big of a deal anyways. This now gave him a reason to travel west. Perhaps he would even buy another team sometime in the near future. Maybe football?

He shook his head, he was going off on a tangent. He needed to get back to the task at hand.

"Sorry for zoning out." he apologized. "The next person isn't an employee, but someone I really want you to meet. Her name is Elizabeth Braddock. We met two years ago, and it was during that time that I taught her quite a bit."

His mind drifted back to two years ago, a fond smile on his face as he remembered running poor Betsy into the ground with his training. She hadn't come out completely unscathed, but she did come out a much stronger woman, both physically and mentally. The young-woman had done more than enough in learning how to control her powers that those who would've take an interest in her are now none the wiser as to who she is, or what she can do. Unfortunately, she chose not to come to America with him after their two years together. No, she told him that she wanted to travel, gain experience, and once she felt she had it, she would come back to him.

"...You'll like her, Steve." he commented. "Real tough that one. You'd also like some of the others I've trained and met over the years."

His thoughts drifted to Sersi, Thundra, Monica, and Yukio. The Eternal woman had left the second he had informed her he was stepping down as director of SHIELD. She told him she would follow no one but him, as she knew him. She did not know Fury nearly as well. He could still contact her if he ever needed her assistance, but other than that, she was out doing her own thing. Thundra was much the same as Sersi. Only willing to follow him as she knew he would not abuse her skills.

Monica and Yukio went a completely different route than their former teammates. They got bumped up from being mere agents, to now being directors themselves, well, co-directors. After an incident whilst on a mission as a man on the wall, Naruto had convinced Fury that they needed more help in dealing with just the extraterrestrial threats. Thus, the organization known as SWORD was created, with the two of them helming it.

"If you can hear me in there Steve, then pay close attention to what I have to say. If you ever run into the species known as the Brood, have a lot of firepower." he said, shivering. That damn species was the entire reason he had concocted SWORD in the first place. If he ever saw another Brood queen again, it would be too soon.

Shaking his head of the species that reminded him of those xenomorphs from that movie, he decided to lighten the mood with some good news.

"The last scientist I hired is another person I really want you to meet..." he stopped mid-sentence, took a deep breath, and exhaled. "Do you recall when I explained the whole situation regarding Tsunade, and the death of my unborn child?"

Steve of course said nothing, remaining absolutely still, and Naruto continued on as if he had been answered.

"Of course you do, and do you also remember that vow I told you I took, to never get involved with a female scientist again?" he asked, and again Steve did not reply. "Well..." Naruto sighed. "...I kinda sorta, broke that vow." he said, a smile on his face. "Congratulations, you're going to be an uncle."

Naruto knew that if Steve were awake, his brother would be jumping for joy right now, asking who the mother was so he could give her a hug, welcoming her into the family.

"The mother of my child, and your niece, is Dr. Sarah Kinney." he revealed. "I had to travel back up north, to Canada, to hire her, and from the moment we met, we just clicked. Eventually, one thing led to another, and now here we are, one month away from my baby girl being born." he said. "In fact, she was supposed to be here already, since I was going to introduce the two of you, but she's late..."

While Sarah didn't have clearance, from Fury at least, to see Steve, she fell under his jurisdiction, and would not be touched by any agent. Pulling out his cellular phone, he dialed her number, but hung up the second he got the answering machine. Using his tech, he triangulated the signal of her phone, and frowned when he read where it currently was.

 _'What's she doing all the way up in Canada?'_

A terrible feeling was starting to take root in the pit of his stomach. He looked back at his brother.

"...Sorry bro, but I'm cutting our bonding time short today." he said. "I'm sure you understand."

Activating his mangekyō, and concentrating on the only place he knew in Canada, he disappeared into a swirling vortex. Gods above he hoped he was wrong in his assumption of where she was.

* * *

He had been hoping, praying, that he was wrong about his assumption, that it was nothing more than a bad feeling. No such luck. He was looking directly at the newly built entrance that now led down into the bunker that Department K used to use, and was probably using right now. The Facility was back up and running again.

The rebuilt door mattered little to him as he tore it off it's hinges. Entering, and quickly making his way down, each step he took was laced with trepidation. Why? Because memories of his past betrayal were starting to resurface.

Did he believe Sarah betrayed him? He didn't know. Would he rather believe she was kidnapped to get to him? You betcha. He knew it was horrible of him to think that way, but could you blame him? He's been burned by a female scientist, albeit unknowingly, before.

 _'Stop.'_

That line of thinking wasn't needed right now. He needed to concentrate. Still having his mangekyō activated, he searched the dimly lit bunker and found his targets. Their large camouflage tent could fool the naked eye, but it would not fool his.

Inching closer and closer, he was about to burst in and start busting skulls but stopped the second he laid eyes on Sarah. Similar to what had been done to the fake Tsunade years ago, Sarah was lying on a gurney, and had all sorts of machines plugged into her. That wasn't the worse part. She also looked like she was getting ready to give birth, despite there still being a month left.

Everyone surrounding Sarah eventually took notice of him, and began to reach for their weapons, but he would not allow them to. He subdued everyone present, sans Sarah, with his presence alone.

"...Who's in charge here?" he asked calmly, his voice tightly controlled. All those present managed to look at two men.

Walking past the struggling men and women on the ground, he stopped in front of the two they had all looked at, and locked eyes with them. He began to sift through the surface of their minds, and after a few seconds, he returned, not at all pleased.

The two old men struggling to breathe in front of him were people he was familiar with, and had in fact come in contact with. He was looking at the two assistants he'd met back in the '50s. They were Martin Sutter, and Adam Harkins. Now lead scientists themselves. It turns out that the illusion he'd placed on the group back then faded prematurely, and the duo had caught his fight with the Wendigo. After they had seen what he could do, they began to keep tabs on him. Eventually, through means unknown to him at the moment, the two men had come to learn who he was behind the mask, and that Sarah was with a child, his child.

"Why?" he asked. "Why would you do this, Martin, Adam?"

Neither man answered his query, as they tried their best to avoid his piercing gaze.

"Answer me!" he yelled, startling the others.

"...Because we were promised the secrets to human evolution."

"That's it?" he asked in disbelief. "You put an innocent woman and child through..." He couldn't even finish his sentence. "I'm going to let you in on something. It's no secret that humanity is evolving." he said. "...Who was it? Who promised you such a thing?" he questioned, because whoever promised the two such things, could also have been the one to give out his identity, and his connection to Sarah.

The two refused to answer, but that was okay. He had ways of getting what he wanted. Forcing them to look directly back into his eyes, he dove right back in, past everything he had already learned, pushing deeper, harder, not caring if he fractured their minds along the way.

* * *

" _...Martin."_

 _Hearing his name, the old man turned around and came face to face with his benefactor. "Yes?"_

" _It appears there has been a change in plans." said the mysterious voice. "An anomaly has appeared and wedged itself within the selection process of our target."_

" _How deep are we talking about?" he asked._

" _The anomaly has gotten pregnant with our target's child." the voice answered. "It is far sooner than I had originally envisioned, and with none of the subjects that I have personally chosen for him."_

" _...Is the anomaly a mutant, or a superhuman at least?"_

 _The mysterious person shook their head. "No, she is as human as they come."_

 _Martin grimaced, as he knew his benefactor hated wasting time, and in their mind at least, most of humanity was a big waste of time. Most of them provided absolutely nothing towards furthering human evolution._

" _What are we going to do?" he inquired._

" _Kill the anomaly." answered the mysterious benefactor._

" _What of the baby?"_

" _...Hold onto it." replied the voice. "I wish to see how it grows and develops. While the union between our target and a human has the least chance for evolutionary change, it should still provide us with a decent amount of data." said the voice. "And if it doesn't, then it will at least provide us with genetic samples of our target."_

 _Martin could only nod. "Of course, Mr. Sinister."_

* * *

" _Harkins..."_

 _Hearing his name called, the blonde haired geneticist tore his gaze away from his current project, a project that would revolutionize genetics for centuries. His name would be legend._

" _How goes the construction of The World?"_

" _Construction is coming along nicely, Mr. Sinister."_

" _Good, good." nodded Sinister. "How long until it's fully operational?"_

" _At the rate it's being constructed, I'd say about a year or two. Why?"_

" _Martin and I are preparing for an experiment, and having The World ready for use would aid us in our endeavor."_

" _Who's the subject?"_

 _Sinister suddenly grinned. "It's someone whom you know very personally. He recently impregnated a human woman with his seed, and Martin and I wish to run experiments on his offspring, to see if it has his mutation or not."_

 _Adam thought for a second, who did he know very personally. Sure he's been intimate with women here and there, but nothing that would suggest they knew who this person really was. That's when it hit him. There was only one person who knew who he truly was and what he did. His eyes narrowed in anger as his head began to throb in pain._

" _Oh, Him..." Adam gritted his teeth as he got the word out. "...If it's for his spawn, then I can have The World ready sooner."_

 _Sinister raised his hand. "No need to rush. I want the child to grow, and naturally show me if it has a mutation or not. If it does not, then and only then will we proceed a step further and bring it to The World for experimentation. Am I understood?"_

 _Adam forced his scowl down. "Of course, Mr. Sinister."_

* * *

"So you both work for someone named Mr. Sinister."

He didn't recognize the name, but that was okay. He could always search for the bastard's name in the SHIELD database. What he really wanted was the bastard's mugshot. Just as he was about to re-enter their minds, to see if either had a mental image of the man, or said location of The World facility, and what it did exactly, he heard screaming coming from behind him.

Realizing it was Sarah, he released the two men in his grasp, turned around, and paled. The mother of his child was beginning to give birth! Seeing as he pushed the two men beneath him hard, they were all but useless to him at the moment. He turned to the next scientist up.

"Why is she going into labor a month ahead of schedule!?" he shouted, picking the scientist closest to him up off the ground.

"We gave her large doses of Oxytocin!" answered the frightened man. "It helps speed up the process of labor by causing strong contractions!"

Angered they would do this, but somehow keeping it in check, he released the man and gave him, along with everyone else present one order.

"Save her and my baby."

The man he had just accosted did not need to be told twice, and neither did some of the others next to him. A large group of men and women that had gotten up, huddled around Sarah, and got to work.

Naruto watched the group work from behind the scenes, shouting at one another, swapping out tool after tool, wiping away all the accumulated blood and sweat as they preformed a C-section. It felt like he was watching them for an eternity.

"Waah! Waah!"

He let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, and allowed himself a very small moment of solace within all the chaos, savoring the sound that was hitting his ears. It was his child, his daughter. Unfortunately, the small reprieve ended when one of the scientists walked over to him, and handed him his baby girl, all clean, and wrapped in a blanket.

If he believed hearing his daughter cry was the most beautiful thing, well, he was wrong. "My god." he whispered softly. "You're perfect, absolutely beautiful..." If this is what his parents felt like, then he could understand why they had two kids. It was a magical feeling.

His baby girl definitely inherited most of her looks from her mother, but she got her beautiful blue eyes from him and his side of the family. Gods above, he could get lost in their innocence all day, and he would have if not for the loud scream that pierced his thoughts.

"We're losing her! We're losing her!" screamed one of the scientists.

"Slow her heart-rate down!" yelled another.

For the first time in his life, Naruto felt truly powerless as he and his daughter watched helplessly from the sidelines as the men and women before him were trying their hardest to save Sarah. Then he heard it. The sound that no one in a hospital ever wants to hear.

The Flatline.

He stood there motionless for a few seconds, hoping beyond hope that the scientists would be able to resuscitate her. He closed his eyes after a few seconds when he noticed the men and women who were trying to save her suddenly start walking away.

She didn't make it. He looked down his daughter sadly, tears in his eyes.

"When one life ends, another begins."

The man he picked up from earlier cautiously approached him. "We're sorry, we tried everything-"

"Silence." The man's apology was quelled with one word from the blonde. Naruto walked past all of the men and women, and into the makeshift operating room. He looked down at Sarah, and then at the child they'd made together. He managed to give her a smile, as hollow as it was.

"I know people say this all the time Sarah, but we made one good looking kid." grinned Naruto. "She's a miniature you, so you know she's going to be beautiful when she grows up, so beautiful in fact that I'm going to have to beat a lot of boy's assess to keep them away..."

He suddenly paused, and thought about what he just said.

"Wait, I didn't mean what I just said in that context..." he said. "What I meant was...you know what, it doesn't matter. Just rest assured that I'm going to do everything within my power to make sure what remains of you in this world is safe and happy." he finished, leaning down and placing one last kiss on her lips.

With his parting words done, he opened up a portal, and had Sarah's body placed within his pocket dimension. He would give her a proper burial once he returned. Turning back around, he came face to face with all of the remaining scientists. His gaze began to unnerve a few of them.

"...I know that all of you were here back in the '50s." he said, having seen all of their faces within the memories of Martin and Harkins. "I gave all of you a second chance years ago, and what did you go on to do with it? You repeated the same mistakes." he answered, shaking his head. "...I thank those of you who helped deliver my daughter safely, and those who tried saving Sarah's life. Unfortunately, it does not excuse your actions today, and all I can say to you is this. I hope you find in death whatever it was you couldn't find in life." he said, as people like those in front of him were always searching for something.

The moment he was done with his impromptu speech, he killed them all, and with his mangekyō. He did it as quickly, and painlessly, as he could muster. He soon realized his mistake in killing Martin and Harkins, as they could still have had info, and sighed. What's done is done. He was tired of being in this place anyways. Carefully stepping around the bodies, he began to make his way to the exit, all the while tossing explosive tags in every direction.

He stopped short of the exit. Removing his jacket, he wrapped it around his daughter before exiting out into the cold Canadian wilderness. Turning around after walking a few feet, he began to weave a hand-sign with his free hand.

 **"** _ **Magen: Nijū Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Double False Surroundings Technique)!"**_

Once the double-layered illusion was in place, and he had walked thirty yards away, he set off all of the explosive tags. Last time, he and his team believed they had completely buried the facility. This time, he was going to make sure it stayed that way. Resuming his walk once more, he looked down at the serene face of his sleeping daughter, a smile on his own face.

"It's time to go home..." he trailed off. "Come to think of it, you don't even have a name, do you?"

The blonde got silent, humming to himself for a bit, and then nodded. He had the perfect name for her.

"Laura." he announced, using the name Sarah had chosen. "...Normally, you'd receive my surname in this instance, but seeing as how Uzumaki and Rogers are linked to trouble, and I have someone pinning after my genes, I'll give you Sarah's surname instead." he said, after thinking about it. "Let's head on home, Laura Kinney."

He had a large smile on his face the second he finished that sentence. Finally, after such a long time and so much tragedy, he was finally going to be a father! He couldn't wait to start raising his little girl. It was going to be great!

* * *

– _**Ten Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **July 25th, 1998**_

"...C'mon Laura, it's time for you nap." whispered the blonde tiredly, rocking her back and forth. "I just finished feeding you." he said. "You don't wanna be all cranky when we go and see uncle Steve again, do you?"

Naruto had lost count the number of times he'd taken Laura over to see her semi-frozen uncle. While there, he would tell his brother everything that involved his daughter. From the cute sounds she made when hungry, or sleepy, to his fears of not knowing if he was raising her correctly.

Normally, he relied on trial and error when it came to a lot of things in life, especially things he didn't understand, but his daughter would not be one of those things. When the many books he'd read weren't enough, or the TV programs on the television were simply to outrageous, he would consult with a pediatrician. Doing that alleviated a lot of his worries over the past months.

He let out a shallow breath. "...Finally." he whispered. "She's asleep."

 _Bzzt!_

 _Bzzt!_

His own azure-blue eyes widened in absolute horror. The personal cellphone he used for SHIELD had begun to vibrate, and seeing as he left it on the wood table, it was likely going to make noise. He was technically on paternity leave, but could be called back in case of emergencies.

 _'Shit!'_ he silently cursed. He had to reach it and turn it off before-!

"Waah! Waah!

The blonde super-soldier groaned. "Sonuvabitch!" he hissed, glaring at the phone. "...WHAT!?" he answered, startling Laura, making her cry even louder.

"We have a situation, meet me at the Triskelion." answered Fury, not even the slightest bit fazed by the yelling or crying in the background. The tone used by the one-eyed director nearly caused all of his anger to dissipate. Never had he heard Fury's voice filled with such urgency. He finally looked down at his crying daughter.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I wasn't yelling at you." he apologized. "Shh, shh..." he hushed softly. "I was only yelling at daddy's work friend." he stated.

Laura, very slowly, began to calm down thanks to his soothing voice, but what was he supposed to do now? He was needed at work, but he didn't have a sitter. Normally, in a situation like this, he would call Fury and ask him to send over an agent to babysit, because he didn't trust anyone who didn't have combat experience to watch his daughter. He was paranoid like that.

Unfortunately, in the time it would take for an agent to arrive, usually an agent named Maria Hill, a twenty-something year old female with a good head on her shoulders, the situation could be over. It's never good to let a situation degrade that far. Who knows what the repercussions would be if he didn't get there in time.

He let out a sigh.

He knew this day would come, he just didn't think it would have been this soon. He was going to bring his baby girl to work with him, well, to the Triskelion at least. His daughter was going to be getting a head start on the whole take your daughter to work day thing.

Seeing as he was already prepared for this potential day, he opened up the cabinet where he kept all of Laura's baby things, and grabbed hold of one of the many diaper bags present. Everything he would ever need to take care of her was already inside. Well, everything except a change of clothes for him. He looked down at his current apparel and grimaced, he wasn't wearing anything combat related. He then shrugged.

"Whatever, I'll just borrow some gear when I get to the Triskelion." he said to himself, tossing aside the feeding strap he created, and vanishing with his daughter in arm.

* * *

The blonde super-soldier strode through the halls of the Triskelion with a purpose, not once batting an eyelash at the odd looks he was receiving from his fellow agents. He knew it was because of Laura, and the diaper bag around his shoulders, but he didn't care.

He entered the command center, but found no Fury. He did however find the young-woman who would usually watch his daughter.

"Hill." he called out gently, so as to not wake Laura. He not only grabbed her attention, but that of everyone else as well. "Where is he? Where is director Fury? Just what exactly needs my attention that he needed me to come in while I was taking care of my daughter?"

Maria Hill prided herself on being three things, stern, pragmatic, and tough-minded. However, she felt the best thing she brought to the organization was her ability to never get caught off-guard, no matter what was presented to her. It was the reason she was brought into SHIELD in the first place.

Suddenly seeing the former director in front of her put that ability to the test, and she could honestly say that she passed with flying colors. However, seeing his daughter, the little girl she herself had often watched on occasion from time to time, with him, well, now that did catch her off-guard.

She quickly composed herself. "Director Fury is currently on his way, and should be arriving within the next couple of seconds."

Hill had joined the organization well after the man in front of her had stepped down, so she had never actually gotten to see him in action, and merely had stories of his exploits. She had to admit something though. Those stories of him, they sounded a bit farfetched, even to her. The way those who had worked under the blonde described him, it was like they were describing some-type of mythological figure.

However, when Fury backed up those stories though, well, it was safe to assume that she had begun to look at him differently ever since. So much so that she had taken the initiative, and started a friendly conversation with him, the first ever between them. Safe to say, that conversation was quite a learning experience for her, and she kicked herself everyday for not approaching him sooner.

The blonde was a wealth of knowledge, his mind like a machine, easily countering every scenario she threw at him. Ever since their first talk, her respect for the blonde had risen to heights that previously only director Fury had ever reached, and this was despite her disagreeing with some of the decisions made by the one-eyed man.

Naruto's ears twitched when he heard footsteps coming their way, and turned around to face the man who had called him in.

"Glad you finally decided to join us, Uzumaki." greeted Fury. "Now we can begin."

"Just cut to the chase already, Fury." Naruto was irritable right now, because when Laura didn't get to nap, she was cranky, and when she was cranky, he was very cranky. "What did you call me here for?"

"Do you recall your trip to the capital of England a couple of years ago?"

The question put a frown on the blonde's face. He nodded.

"Do you also recall when you asked me to run the name of one James Jaspers through our database?"

Again, the blonde nodded, his frown growing ever slightly.

"Do you also remember when I informed you that we could find nothing on this man?" he asked, and got another nod. "How this man was practically a ghost in our world." he added.

"What exactly are you trying to get at here, Fury?" the blonde asked suddenly. "That our organization is incompetent at gathering information on a single human being?"

The one-eyed man shook his head. "No, just that there was more to that man than originally met the eye." he replied. "After our conversation years ago, I sent a team to monitor the man, to report on anything unusual, and it was only recently that I received a report."

"Why so long?"

"Because there wasn't anything unusual to report. Until just a few minutes ago."

"What did it say?"

"Here, instead of me reading it to you, let me show you."

Fury pushed one of the various buttons on his control console, and a projection began to form in front of those present in the room.

"Originally, my agents believed our boy to be nothing more than a man running for office, albeit one who doesn't want the public to know about his past," he said, as it wasn't strange to see a politician hiding some facts about their past that they didn't want out. "Well..."

As the projection finally came to life, the blonde, along with the others, watched as the target appeared on screen, along with four others. Two were female, one male, and the other was unknown. The three humans were supers, no doubt about that, and all three were currently in battle with the unknown.

"They were wrong." he said, sighing. "My agents first alerted me to this disturbance involving our boy and the four individuals once the results of who won the election for Prime Minister were leaked." he said.

Naruto nodded. "Is this live?" he inquired.

Fury nodded. "It is. All electronic equipment within a five mile radius became nonfunctional once this fight started, and all I know is that at least one of my agents is alive since we're watching this. I don't know about the others." he stated, a grimace on his face.

The blonde super-soldier heard the grimace in Fury's voice, but hadn't so much as spared the one-eyed man a glance since the start of the live-stream. That wasn't to say he didn't feel bad for him, or his agents, because not knowing if they were dead or alive was one the worst feelings to experience, but he couldn't worry about them right now, not with what was on screen.

In his opinion, the fight was extremely lopsided, for the three supers. The unknown was easily proving to be a match for all three. Another oddity. Jaspers. He repeatedly kept trying to flee the scene, but every which way he want he kept being followed by the four combatants.

He wondered why this was? A sudden thought occurred to him, and he looked at Fury.

"Fury."

"Yes?"

"Was Jaspers goal the reason he won the election?"

The one-eyed man registered the question and quickly began to connect the dots. "You believe that his goal for mutant registration back then, and his recent win, is the reason he's in the middle of this?" he asked, looking at the screen.

"It's a possibility." replied the blonde. "With more and more people being born with the x-gene, and the discrimination mutants face, it wouldn't surprise me if some decided to take matters into their own hands."

"Okay, I can see that, but what about the unknown attacking the three and chasing Jaspers?"

Naruto shrugged. He didn't have an answer for that one. "Don't know, guess I'll find out when I get there." he responded, and didn't bother asking if he was going to send anyone else. Judging by the firepower being shown on screen, only he stood a chance at survival.

The director nodded. "Take anything you need from the armory."

The super-soldier nodded, and then looked down at Laura's sleeping face. He really didn't want to leave her alone, but he was doing this for her sake as well. Laura was his daughter, which also meant there was a real possibility that she may inherit something from him. She would be branded a mutant despite not having the x-gene, and if Jasper's whole registration thing gained momentum over here in the US, then that would put his daughter in danger. And he couldn't have that, not after the promise he made to her mother.

Giving her a kiss on the forehead, which slowly roused her from her slumber, he handed her over to Fury. "Here. I don't know how long I'll be, so make sure you follow the schedule I made for her. It's in the bag." he said, and walked away, towards the armory.

Fury was standing there, a baby in his arms, fully awake, and both were looking at one another, each waiting for the other to break in their staring contest.

"...Coochy Coo." Fury grunted.

"Waah! Waah!"

Laura let out a wail, making the situation all the more awkward for the director.

"Um, I'll take over for you if you want, sir." said Hill.

Fury grunted an affirmative and handed Laura over to someone she was familiar with.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Moments Later~**_

A swirling vortex of distorted space began manifest in one of the more memorable places Naruto could recall during his visit to London a few years ago, the clock tower, Big Ben. Walking out of the distorted space, the blonde wore a standard kevlar uniform that most agents wore, however, he also made sure to choose one that did not denote whom he aligned with. Since the organization did not have masks, or at least his style of mask, he instead wore a balaclava, though it only covered the lower half of his face.

 _Boom!_

Shifting his mangekyō in the direction of the explosion, he peered down at the city of Westminster, and caught sight of the three supers, along with the unknown. From his current viewpoint, his eyes easily allowed him to track all of their movements, though he focused more on the unknown. If what his eyes were showing him was correct, then the unknown on the battlefield was in fact a machine. Or at least what came close to one.

"Argh!"

Snapping his head over to the exact location of where he heard the pained grunt come from, he spotted an old man buried underneath some rubble. Turning his attention back to the supers, he could see that while their tactic of switching with one another between fighting and rescuing was doing them some good, it unfortunately wasn't enough. If they kept going like this, there will be more dead than living by the time the fight is over.

Running down the tower quickly, he leapt from one spot to another, eventually landing beside the old man. Unfortunately, before he could assist him, the only male super crashed nearby him, and if he recalled correctly, this one was apart of the duo who was fighting. His eyes widened.

The machine was on him immediately, and he was forced to become intangible to avoid the death blow. Quickly transporting the old man to his pocket dimension for safety, he turned around to face the machine. Though it did not attack. Instead, it merely looked at him.

"...Scan complete." it announced. "Naruto Uzumaki. Threat level: Omega. Must eliminate."

Now that got the blonde shinobi to show a confused frown. _'Threat level omega? What's that mean?'_

Before he could try and figure out what the machine had just said, it attacked again, and he once more became intangible, only this time, the result was much different.

"Oof!"

Naruto was suddenly sent flying backwards by a physical strike to his chest. Had he not recognized the moment his intangibility had been breached, and not braced himself, his chest would have been caved in by that strike. Though that did beg the question...

 _'How did it land a hit on me while I was intangible!?'_

He softly cursed as he held the tender spot on his chest. No time to get answers, the machine was upon him once more, or it would have been if not for the interference of one of the two females. He watched as the female landed a critical strike at the machine's core, sending it far away, and she not far behind it, continuing her barrage.

While he was thankful to the female super for allowing him to get a breather, he did not appreciate her female teammate getting all up in his face all of a sudden.

"Who are you, and what is your purpose here?!" She all but barked out the question at him.

If she didn't have a snarl all but etched on her face as she peered down at him, Naruto would have no trouble calling the woman before him beautiful. Olive tanned skin, shining blue eyes, and hair as dark as the night. Even the outfit she wore, as outrageous as it looked, only accentuated that beauty.

Before he could offer his answer, the words were taken right out of his mouth.

"Peace, Roma." interrupted the male super, having finally gotten up.

Now that he was closer to the man opposite him, the super-soldier could tell that this man was native to Britain. His accent and the colors adorned on his outfit were clear indications of that.

"The man is a friend, that much I can attest to." answered the super from Britain. "The Fury targeted him much the same way it did us, and the enemy of my enemy is my friend." he quoted.

"The Fury?" questioned the blonde shinobi, looking at the more amicable one of the two supers.

The man nodded. "It is a cybiote, a combination of an android and a cyborg."

"It's purpose is to eliminate all superhumans." added the woman named Roma, just as she left to help her other teammate.

"What can it do?" asked the blonde, nursing his chest, and using this chance to heal up.

"I know not all of it's abilities as Roma does, but what I do know is this..." he started. "It is beyond durable, and it can adapt to anything, be it your powers, as you witnessed earlier, or interdimensional travel." he explained.

Seeing as his last statement confused his temporary ally, the man from Britain explained further.

"The Fury is not from our universe, but another." he revealed. "Roma, and Linda McQuillan, Captain UK, the female who saved you earlier, told me that it had already completed it's task in it's original universe, and was now moving onto others, seeking to do the same."

Naruto grimaced when he heard the words alternate universe and interdimensional travel. He's already had enough of both when he dealt with Kaguya and her machinations.

"...Who created it?" he suddenly asked the British man. "Maybe we could capture them and force them to shut it off?"

The man opposite shook his head. "Not possible I'm afraid. The man who created the machine has long been dead, well, his alternate self still lives."

It didn't take the super-soldier long to put two and two together. "Jaspers."

 _Crash!_

"Argh!"

"I'm sorry my friend, but with Roma here, I must leave to help my comrade. Once you are sufficiently healed, join us as fast as you can." he said, and flew off.

Naruto would have told his new friend that he could have gone the moment after he got tagged by the Fury, but didn't. Why? It was so he could think. If this thing could adapt as fast as he was told, and he had seen, then only something equally as powerful would be able to halt that adaptability, but what?

Peeking over to the side, he could see the woman, Roma, starting to get up. He decided to help, and see if he could establish a bridge between them.

"Thank you." she grunted. "Do you have a plan to deal with the Fury?" she suddenly asked, catching him off-guard. "I saw you thinking whilst you were speaking with Captain Britain, and I can only assume you were doing so because you now know about our enemy, yes?"

The blonde silently let out a breath, and nodded. He told her all that the Captain had told him.

"James Jaspers is indeed it's original creator." she confirmed. "His opposite self was so powerful that my father had to destroy that reality in order to stop that god masquerading around in human skin from traversing to other universes."

Another grimace was plastered on the shinobi's face when he heard of a universe being snuffed out by this woman's father. He may be a man on the wall who fights outside forces, but things on the scale this woman was speaking about, the multiverse of all things, just seemed so far out of his league. He didn't even want to think about the weapon used to do it.

"...Is the Jaspers of this universe as powerful as his deceased counterpart?"

Roma shook her head. "No, he isn't, which is why he hasn't yet defeated the Fury himself, despite it hounding him, but he will be, and eventually, he will surpass his counterpart." she stated. "Which is why once the Fury has been defeated, we are to eliminate Jasper's before that occurs."

Her sudden admission made him pause for a second. He was all for dishing out justice and punishment when it needed to be dealt, but killing someone before they became what the person accusing them said they would be? He didn't know about that.

Unfortunately, he couldn't think more on this issue as the trio of fighters had returned. A plan on how to defeat this opponent was still evading him at the moment. Seeing as he was the freshest of their quartet, he rushed forward, and unsealed one of his more dangerous weapons, his anti-metal coated kusarigama. He slowly began to spin the weighted end until it was spinning so rapidly that it was a blur.

The whirling sound of his coated weapon had the desired effect he'd been hoping for. Certain areas on the Fury's body began to shake, as did a few nearby buildings. If the anti-metal coated on his weapon destabilized other metals, and the machine in front of him was part android and cyborg, both of which used metals, then he had the perfect weapon here. He just had to make his first hit count.

As he threw the weighted end at it's unprotected head, ready to remove it, he let out a soft curse. The machine had somehow managed to move despite it's minor disabilities, and instead of heading towards it's head, it would hit it's chest instead. Not about to let his surprise attack be foiled just like that, he began to channel chakra into his weapon.

When normal chakra was channeled into a weapon, the users control increased, but when wind chakra was also added, it's cutting power increased as well. Maneuvering the weighted end, he struck the joint between the upper arm and the shoulder, completely removing it's arm, but he was not done. The other end of the kusarigama, the sickle, was simultaneously used to slice it's other arm off.

Attacking at the same time unfortunately left him open, and he was abruptly kicked in the chest, though it was not as hard as before. Returning his attention to the machine, he could see that it was starting to repair itself with scattered junk from it's early destruction, and before he could attempt to halt this, the others jumped in, looking to do the same.

Just as the others were putting forth all they had to end this opponent once and for all, they were all blown back by a large wave of energy. He cursed. The Fury was fully intact once more, and he bet his weapon wouldn't work as well as it did before. He needed to come up with something, and fast. The thing was advancing on them.

He was looking at a potential unstoppable force here. What he needed was an immovable object of the same potential. That was when it hit him. He looked at the Fury head on.

"Fury." he suddenly said, catching it's attention. "What is your objective?"

Despite it being an incredibly strong opponent, it was still a machine with circuits. "My objective is the elimination of all superhumans." It recited, and began stalking forward once more.

"If this is true, then why are you allowing the one who is your master, yet isn't, to continue living when he is clearly the biggest threat to your existence?" he questioned.

Once the question had registered within the Fury, it suddenly stopped walking, and turned it's head in a random direction. It suddenly blasted off in said direction. The others were quickly trailing behind it. All of them arrived just as the Fury had Jaspers in it's clutches, and the two abruptly vanished before Jasper's could use his reality-warping powers.

"Where did they go?" questioned the blonde shinobi. His plan wasn't for them to vanish, but for them to take each other out.

Captain Britain looked at his female teammate who knew most about the two subjects. "Roma?"

"Give me a moment." she responded, her eyes closed, concentrating. "The Fury, it transported itself and Jaspers to the only place it could kill the reality-warping man."

"Where?" asked Naruto.

"To the dead reality." she answered. "After all, Jaspers cannot manipulate what no longer exists."

"So Jaspers is likely to be dead, but what about the Fury?" asked Captain UK, speaking for the first time. "Traveling from this universe to my old one, and back, is not easy for anyone, even the Fury who adapted to interdimensional travel soon after completing it's task in my universe."

"Indeed, traveling across dimensions like that is no easy task." Roma stated. "Chances are it will be extremely weakened once it returns, and that will be our golden opportunity."

True to her words, the moment the Fury showed it's face once more, it did not have the same gusto it had left with, and they struck. Naruto wasn't sure what the others were going to do, but he knew what he planned on doing. Summoning part of his Susanoo, he then began to wrap the flames of Amaterasu around it. He then brought the hammer down, just as the others did.

 _Boom!_

The resounding explosion from the combined might of their attacks blew them all back, and left nothing but a crater where the Fury used to be. Getting back up, Naruto made his way to the crater, and spotted the machine parts. Not about to take the chance of them coming together to form the Fury, he focused in on the ground beneath him, and lit it ablaze with his black fire.

"Are you done?"

Turning around, he came face to face with Captain Britain. "Just making sure the damn thing is gone for good." he said, defending his actions.

The Captain held up his hands. "Relax, I did not mean for my words to come out the way they did. I was merely asking if you were done destroying what remained."

Naruto nodded. Roma came up to them and let out a sigh.

"Linda is okay, the injury she sustained is not life-threatening."

"What are you talking about?" questioned the blonde shinobi, confused.

"Just seconds before we all attacked, the Fury managed to tag Linda." answered the Captain.

"How bad we talking about here?"

"Never being able to walk again." answered Roma.

"Oh, that's pretty bad."

"Fear not." she spoke. "I can heal her spinal cord injury, but she and I must leave right away if she is to avoid contracting an infection, making things worse." she said. "Though..." she trailed off, looking around at the destruction.

Naruto could understand her hesitance. She didn't want to leave this mess for one of her teammates to handle alone, but she also wanted to help the injured one. Technically, he was only here to help stop the threat, but he could afford to stay a bit longer, hell, he was sure he could get a few others to come in and help as well. He just needed to make a call first.

"I can stick around and help." he told them. "Just let me make a call first."

As he walked away to call SHIELD, to send some bodies over, Captain Britain came notice that Roma's eyes had not left the back of their newest ally, and friend.

"Why do you keep staring at his retreating back?" he questioned.

"In all my life, I've met many who can alter another's destiny, or fate, call it what you wish, but all of them had one thing in common...their own light." she revealed. "And the brighter the light emitted by a person, the more they can alter around them."

"Okay..."

"That man..." she trailed off, eyes still locked on Naruto. "He's the brightest I've ever seen. Blinding even." she added. "That man, he's going to play a very instrumental part in the future."

"Of what?" inquired the Captain. "Our world? The galaxy? The universe?"

Roma shook her head. "I do not know." she answered, just as the blonde came back.

"Good news, not only is my daughter doing okay, but a few of my friends are coming over to lend us a hand." he announced.

It wasn't hard convincing Fury to send SHIELD agents across the pond, he had to. Aside from their own country, and a few others, the United Kingdom was part of the World Security Council. Meaning if there was ever something happening in said country, like today, then SHIELD needed to help anyway it could.

He was lucky. When he was director, only America was part of the council, and he only had to deal with one politician, albeit the most powerful in the country, but still, it was only one. Fury on the other hand has to deal with several, which were no doubt always giving him a constant headache.

Captain Britain let out a giant smile when hearing such good news. "Thank you my friend." he said, and gave Naruto a bone crushing hug.

Naruto nodded, bid farewell to Roma and Linda, as the two left, and walked side by side with his new friend, ready to help clean up the destruction.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Twelve**_

* * *

 _Okay, as I stated up above, the sporadic shifts in years. In the time-line that I created specifically for this story, in the years that were skipped, there wasn't anything of importance that was worth writing about. If you must know, all you missed were minor story details; people getting hired/fired, births etc._

 _ **Decided to change up Elizabeth Ross' origin a bit. I'm using the MCU version of her that was seen in the Edward Norton Hulk movie. You'll see more of what I mean in the next chapter.**_

 _Mister Sinister. For those of you who do know what his goal is in the comic universe, then I don't think I need to explain why he has a vested interest in Naruto. For those of you who don't, well, it's basically this. He's in a partnership with a very powerful mutant, whom has appeared in this story, though it is more like servitude than anything, and Sinister wants out. So, he concocts a plan to breed the ultimate mutant, to eventually defeat his "master". Also, just because he's looking at the blonde, doesn't mean he isn't looking at other mutants. Naruto just happens to be the only one in his view at the moment of the current time-line. Just wait until the future when more mutants begin to pop up._

 _ **Just want to clear something up in regards to who holds more power within SHIELD. Just because our blonde has the same amount as Fury does not mean he makes the decisions. Fury is still director of the organization, and as such makes all the decisions. Just wanted to state it again.**_

 _Lastly. The next chapter will kick off the beginnings of the MCU._

* * *

 _ **REVIEW**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Sorry for the super long wait. Hopefully this extra long chapter makes up for it. Also, be sure to read the stuff at the bottom. I've re-written chapters 1-12 – editing grammar, adding scenes etc – so if you don't want to re-read them, just read the summaries at the bottom detailing what I've changed and or added.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

" _I can stick around and help." he told them. "Just let me make a call first."_

 _As he walked away to call SHIELD, to send some bodies over, Captain Britain came notice that Roma's eyes had not left the back of their newest ally, and friend._

" _Why do you keep staring at his retreating back?" he questioned._

" _In all my life, I've met many who can alter another's destiny, or fate, call it what you wish, but all of them had one thing in common...their own light." she revealed. "And the brighter the light emitted by a person, the more they can alter around them."_

" _Okay..."_

" _That man..." she trailed off, eyes still locked on Naruto. "He's the brightest I've ever seen. Blinding even." she added. "That man, he's going to play a very instrumental part in the future."_

" _Of what?" inquired the Captain. "Our world? The galaxy? The universe?"_

 _Roma shook her head. "I do not know." she answered, just as the blonde came back._

" _Good news, not only is my daughter doing okay, but a few of my friends are coming over to lend us a hand." he announced._

 _It wasn't hard convincing Fury to send SHIELD agents across the pond, he had to. Aside from their own country, and a few others, the United Kingdom was part of the World Security Council. Meaning if there was ever something happening in said country, like today, then SHIELD needed to help anyway it could._

 _He was lucky. When he was director, only America was part of the council, and he only had to deal with one politician, albeit the most powerful in the country, but still, it was only one. Fury on the other hand has to deal with several, which were no doubt always giving him a constant headache._

 _Captain Britain let out a giant smile when hearing such good news. "Thank you my friend." he said, and gave Naruto a bone crushing hug._

 _Naruto nodded, bid farewell to Roma and Linda, as the two left, and walked side by side with his new friend, ready to help clean up the destruction._

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Three Years Later –**_

* * *

 _ **October 2nd, 2001**_

Naruto let out a sigh as he placed his head onto the headrest of the car, and the drink in his hand in the cup-holder of the armrest. He, like most of the American population, was still in mourning after the horrific event that transpired three weeks ago.

The Destruction of the World Trade Center.

And like most Americans, he could do nothing. At least not without permission from the World Security Council, and by extension SHIELD. It was strange though. A small part of SHIELD had been given the go-ahead to enter the Afghanistan war, as were many other branches of the US military, but for some reason it felt like he was being singled out specifically, to be left on the sidelines. He told himself it was because there was no superhuman threat that needed his expertise, but that sounded weak even to him.

In reality, he knew what was really going on. It was Hydra. Ever since he found out they had infiltrated the American government, he'd done nothing but investigate, often eliminating low-level agents, and even some mid-to-high tier agents, but it wasn't enough. Their infection was deep, and very high up in the chain of command. It was the only reason that made any sense to him. Why else wouldn't they send in a super-soldier to end a war faster?

If he had decided to disobey the order to enter the war and hunt some terrorists, starting his own secret war, it would have ended badly for him. The infiltrators would have made his life a living hell. Not only would he be branded a rogue agent, but a bounty would be placed on his head. He didn't need that kind of mess right now. Especially when another factor came into play.

Sure he could go and start his own secret war and go rogue, but he was afraid of doing so. Afraid he'd get lost in it. Lost in the revenge, the chaos, the need to have justice for those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attack. Though most of all, he was afraid of losing himself, and as a result losing the one thing he couldn't live without.

His daughter, Laura.

She's his entire world, and is by far the single most important person in his life, barring his brother of course. It was because of her, and what his decision to disobey would mean for her, that he didn't enter Hydra's no doubt orchestrated war. He dodged a bullet because of her.

It was unfortunate, but he would have to watch from the sidelines as his brothers and sisters in arms were shipped to fight overseas. There were only a few things that could really take his mind off of this. Laura, his daughter, alcohol, he was on his fifth drink, and lastly, work, where he's currently heading. Fury had called him in.

Seeing as agent Hill was moving up the chain of command within SHIELD, she was no longer a viable option to watch his daughter, but that was okay. He had a backup. The now eighteen year old Jessica Drew.

Naruto suddenly let out a sigh.

God did he feel old, well, older than usual. It felt like it was only yesterday when he had first met that cheerful little girl who came to visit her parents, and now here they were, her a young-woman on the cusp of adulthood.

The Triskelion soon came into view from the backseat of his Rolls-Royce, and he downed his drink. The luxury sedan came to a smooth stop, and he stepped out. Before he could take a step towards the center of command, he stopped. Fury was outside waiting for him. It seemed whatever mission the man had for him was of the utmost importance if he couldn't wait for him to enter the building. They shared a nod. With their greeting out of the way, they bypassed all of the security checkpoints, and soon entered. Naruto noted that while everyone present in command had an air of professionalism, they were all very tense.

"What's going on, Fury?"

The one-eyed director didn't respond immediate, instead mulling over how he was going to broach this topic. He sighed. No point in sugarcoating it. "...There was an incident in one of the labs."

If the super-soldier hadn't been on alert yet, he certainly was now. "How bad we talking about?"

"We lost one of the projects-"

"I don't care about the project, Fury. Did we lose anyone?"

Fury nodded. "We lost a scientist, and two others."

"Who?"

The one-eyed director didn't answer.

"Who did we lose?" questioned the blonde, pressing Fury. A few seconds passed by, and the blonde couldn't take it anymore. He snapped. "Fury!"

"It was Richard and Mary Parker."

Naruto suddenly felt numb all over, and he couldn't breathe. "...Oh Christ." Realization soon dawned on him. "They have a child."

Fury nodded. "Peter Parker."

"What's going to happen to him? Does he have family that can take him in?"

"He does." answered the director. "His uncle, Ben Parker, and his aunt, May Parker."

The lone shinobi breathed a bit easier knowing this. For his own piece of mind, he would check on the boy from time to time, just to see how he's doing. With one potential problem taken care of, he returned to the matter at hand.

"How did they go?"

"Explosion."

That caused the blonde to grimace.

"...Did they at least go quick?"

Fury mimicked the blonde's grimace, and didn't answer.

"Fury, just tell me, what the hell's going on?"

"There was an attempted break-in."

The former director's eyebrows nearly rose to the top of his forehead, such was his disbelief. "Are you serious?" The current director nodded. "Who would be stupid enough to steal from us?"

"Quite a few people actually." answered Fury. "Richard and Mary learned there was to be an attempt made, just not when unfortunately."

"Who was it? Hydra? AIM?"

"Neither. Try other."

Now that caused the blonde to narrow his eyes. There aren't that many organizations in the world, with resources, that could attempt such a daring plan. So if it wasn't Hydra or AIM, who was it? He looked at his former subordinate. If he knew Fury as well as he believed he did, the man already had a suspect in mind.

"Who do you believe it is, Fury?"

"I believe it's the Army."

Naruto's jaw flexed. He didn't like the sound of this. "...Are you absolutely positive of this?"

Fury nodded. "Yes. Everything points to one man. Thaddeus Ross."

"What makes you think so?"

The director eyed his strongest agent. "I know you've been in mourning with the rest of the country, but you need to get your head back in the game." said the one-eyed man. "We aren't the only ones who've been given permission to create super-soldiers anymore. There are other players now."

Hearing this made the blonde frown. "Okay, so SHIELD isn't alone in the super-soldier business. That still doesn't mean it was Ross or the Army."

"Like I said, you need to reacquaint yourself." said Fury. "After the attack on 9/11, the President gave Ross the green-light to begin his Bio-Tech Force Enhancement Project. A project Ross has been trying to get up off the ground for sometime. Especially after he learned of SHIELD's. With me so far?"

Naruto nodded.

"Seeing as I'd already hired the top minds for SHIELD, he was left with...other options, and as a result of this, his project failed." he revealed. "It got especially bad when information leaked to the masses of the United States. The photos were...horrifying to say the least. The project was shut down soon after."

The blonde understood where Fury was going. "So you believe Ross ordered the break-in to steal one of SHIELD's variations, because his project failed, which was inadvertently caused by you, since you hired the top minds, and by extension, me, whom he hates with a passion. Am I on the right track?"

Fury tapped his nose. It sounded farfetched, but he knew Fury. The man wouldn't do, or say, something if he didn't have a reason. The man may be more paranoid than him, but he trusted the man's judgment.

"Who's lab was broken into?" inquired Naruto.

"Banner's."

Naruto grimace from earlier was back in full force, and then-some. "Is he dead?" Fury had mentioned losing a scientist.

"No. He's alive, but..."

"But?"

"There was a complication."

"What kind?"

"Here, let me show you the surveillance video." he said. "Words alone can't explain what I'm about to show you."

Wondering what the man was talking about, he watched the screen in front of him carefully. The video opened with Banner in his lab, late at night, mulling about, often speaking aloud, or to himself. It fast forwarded three hours, making it 3:45 am, and that's when the action began. First, power was cut to the lab, making Banner panic, and then a small team of five men broke in. It was easy to see that these men had military training, no doubt about that. He continued to watch as the men pointed their guns at Banner, trying to subdue him, but then something unexpected occurred. Banner fought back. Not once did he ever believe the man brave enough to do such a thing at gunpoint. As a result of his defiance, a trigger was pushed, and a bullet was shot, but not at a person, no, at a machine. The machine that just happened to douse a target in gamma radiation. It exploded.

"Is the radiation of the gamma explosion contained?" asked Naruto, pausing the video.

"It is." Fury answered.

Naruto nodded, and resumed the video. With the machine exploding, and everyone present showered in radiation, it didn't take long for the effects to be felt, or seen. All but two men died, which was honestly very surprising. One was obviously from the black-ops unit. The other was Banner himself.

"Here's that complication I was referring to earlier..."

The blonde watched in morbid fascination as Banner, who was on the ground, began to shake violently. He would spasm like crazy every few seconds or so and stop, until he just stopped altogether. Banner's chest then heaved as if an invisible hand had lifted him up, and that was when the man began to slowly change. Where once stood a scrawny man, now stood a goliath. A green goliath packed with muscle atop muscle. The giant let out a bestial roar and began to smash everything in sight. Eventually, with a mighty leap, he left the laboratory. The video feed ended there.

"What happened after that?" questioned the blonde. "Do you have the man from the black-ops unit in a cell?"

"Negative on the latter." answered the one-eyed man. "The man was gone by the time I arrived on the scene." he explained. "After that behemoth left, he came crashing down on a nearby building, causing an explosion."

Naruto sighed. "The Parkers." Fury nodded. "How long ago was this video taken?"

"About two days ago, give or take three."

The former director looked at the current one like he had just grown a second head. "I'm sorry, but did you just say two or three days?"

Fury nodded.

"Why did it take you so long to contact me?"

"Didn't want to lose the trail." answered the one-eyed man. "Especially with him putting out such high levels of gamma radiation."

Naruto gave a the one-eyed man a nod, as forced as it was. "What about the black-ops soldier?

"We were able to track him down."

Finally some good news. "Where?"

"Fort Hamilton."

Naruto sighed again. "So I'm assuming he's back with Ross then?"

"Yes."

"And since they're back together, they can just deny everything." Naruto shook his head. It was a very standard play. And if the unknown black-ops soldier died of radiation poisoning, that was even better for Ross. One less loose end. "What about the deceased soldiers in the lab? Anything on them?"

"Tests indicate none of them are American."

Well, he certainly wasn't expecting to hear that. "You serious?"

Fury nodded. "Tests made them out as Canadians."

"The hits just keep on coming." muttered the blonde. Now they were potentially dealing with another country as well. Wonderful. "...Is it possible any remnants of the Weapon Plus Program had a hand in this?" Naruto wouldn't put it past them. After all, both he and Fury have history with them, him more so.

The director shrugged. "It's entirely possible, but until I know more, I can't exactly make any moves on our allies in the north."

Naruto sighed. "Okay, so our only chance of knowing what's going on is to capture the unknown man who's, so far, survived being doused in gamma radiation."

"Correct, but that's not what I called you." said Fury. "I called you here because you have experience in dealing with superhuman threats, my other agents do not." he explained. "My other agents will be working on capturing the unknown man. You're going to deal with the transformed Banner."

The shinobi couldn't refute his point, he did have the most experience in dealing with superhumans, at least in straight up fights. Fury would also have qualified, but he was more of a behind the scenes type of fighter.

"If I'm doing this, then I'm gonna need my team."

Fury looked at him for a moment. "...Are you positive they're ready for something like this?" He knew the blonde in front of him had trained three agents specifically for missions like these, but training and actually facing the real thing are two completely different things.

Naruto nodded. "I've trained them well, besides, they need experience." he said. "I'll protect them if need be. Don't worry."

The one-eyed director sighed, and nodded. He tapped his earpiece. _[Hill...]_

 _[Sir?]_

 _[Send in agents Barton, Morse, and Masters.]_

 _[Copy.]_

A few short seconds later, three adults, all wearing tactical gear, walked in. Naruto eyed each of them.

From left to right, they were Clint Barton, Barbara Morse, and Tony Masters. All three of them are his pride and joy within SHIELD. Each individual brought something different to the team. Clint is their long-range fighter, Barbara, or Bobbi, is their short-to-mid range fighter, and Tony is their short-range fighter. He meanwhile played a supporting role for them. However, that was changing today.

Naruto gave all of them a microscopic nod, glad to see his students, whom he'd trained since they first entered SHIELD, when they were in their early twenties, had taken well to his lessons of preparation. All of them returned the nod with one of their own.

"Are you prepared for the next mission, agents Hawkeye, Mockingbird, and Taskmaster?" All of them nodded, responding to their codenames, and holding onto their specific set of gear.

"Be aware of something else." said Fury.

"What?"

"You may or may not have a run-in with Ross himself."

Naruto sent him a confused look. "How do you figure?" Surely the man wasn't stupid enough to try something else so soon after his failed break-in attempt. Right?

"Banner may seek out the man's daughter." stated the one-eyed man. "Seeing as the two have a history together." The blonde nodded. Understatement of the year. Banner and Elizabeth Ross were practically in love with one another before going their separate ways because of work. "I'm only telling you this because chances are high that the black-ops agent informed Ross of Banner's transformation, and you and I both know just how tenacious Ross can be when it comes to his daughter. Add in the fact it's one of the scientists I hired, and well, I don't need to tell you how hard Ross is going to go at Banner."

The blonde nodded. It was a valid point.

"What's the current relationship between our target, and Elizabeth Ross?" asked Morse, having read up on the players involved in this mission a day prior.

"It's a long distance one." answered Naruto. "Her skills in medicine are also a factor here." He added to the mix. "If Banner believes anyone can help him, then it's her." His team sent him some confused looks. "Elizabeth Ross had a small hand in Banner's serum creation, even if she doesn't know it." he explained.

"Are her skills in medicine that formidable?" inquired Hawkeye.

"In general practice? Yes, but scientifically? No. Like I said, her role in it's creation was small."

"If you do cross paths with Ross during the mission, you have to make sure Banner doesn't fall into his hands." said Fury. "The secrets in Banner's blood are far to dangerous to be let out. Eliminate him if no other option is available."

"Who? Banner or Ross?"

Both options worked. Eliminate Banner, and Ross doesn't get his hands on a variation of the serum. Eliminate Ross, and they take Banner back, study what makes him so green, and then try to replicate it. It was a win-win scenario for Fury.

"I'll leave that up for you to decide."

Naruto sighed, how nice of him. "Right. Is there anyone else I have to worry about showing up?"

The director of SHIELD shook his head. The lone shinobi nodded.

"Let's move out team."

* * *

"What's the first order of business?" inquired Taskmaster, speaking for the first time.

"Our first order of business is in this garage." answered Naruto. "We're going to retrieve our mode of transportation." The blonde was talking about his 2001 Black Aston Martin Vanquish, a flying car.

"I think he means after this, Kagebōshi?" asked Hawkeye, referring to his leader by his codename. He received a nod from Taskmaster, thanking him for translating.

Tony Masters was a bit different when compared to most agents of SHIELD. The man was as gifted as they come, but it was not his athletic ability that made him stand out. It was a special ability he called photographic reflexes. Once he saw something, say a fighting style, he made it his own. It made him one of the most versatile fighters on the planet. Unfortunately, it came with a price. For everything he learned, something else would be forgotten.

Seeing as he needed his team in tip-top condition, he removed the inhibition, or at least he tried to. The brain worked in mysterious ways after all, and he could only partly remove it. So until something could be done for him, he would always keep forgetting, just not as frequently nowadays.

"Hm-mm, well let's see, first we're going to check his place of residence, then we're going to look in on his family, and if all that fails, we'll check his bank statements for any recent purchases." he answered the man. "Along with everything else in-between. We have to capture Banner at all costs." Plus he had to call Jessica and pay her so she could watch Laura for who knows how long.

"I got the Geiger counter!" exclaimed Mockingbird, entering the garage with a large device. "This should help us locate Dr. Banner faster."

Naruto nodded. "Good work."

Once he attached the device to his car, if there was any radiation near them, it would pick it up. Seeing as Banner was nothing but an irradiated rage monster, the device should have no problem picking him up. Unless he was very far away.

"So, where we starting first?" inquired Morse.

Clint began to fill her in on what she missed, and as he was doing so, the Aston Martin Vanquish they were currently sitting in roared to life. He turned to look at each of them.

"Everyone buckled up?" The three passengers gave him a nod. "Good. Let's get this mission started."

* * *

 _ **~One Week Later~**_

"Anybody see a rare occurrence yet?" asked Naruto, keeping his eyes on the sky in front of him while also keeping them open for anything unusual. Three shaking heads were his answer. He sighed.

They'd done everything he said they would. They had staked out his home for an entire day, searched his entire family, checked his statements, and checked everything in-between. At first, they had gotten nothing, but that all changed a day ago when they had gotten a hit, but not with the Geiger counter. It came from an eyewitness claiming she had seen a green Sasquatch, heading south. Not south into the country of Mexico, but past it and into South America. Specifically the Republic of Peru. Which is their current location.

Unfortunately, seeing as they had received the eyewitness report a day late, Hulk, which is what Naruto dubbed the green goliath, instead of referring to him as a hulking monster, was nowhere to be found. They were in luck though. While the device wasn't reading a high level of radiation, as it no doubt wore off a bit, they had been able to spot giant craters in the ground, no doubt from the Hulk leaping. They were heading southeast, towards Brazil.

Naruto suddenly looked out his window, at the sun. He wagered they had a few hours of daylight left in the day before it got dark, judging by the height of the sun. Hopefully, they made it to Brazil with some daylight still left, because he didn't want to fight the Hulk at night.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

Night had unfortunately fallen over Brazil, specifically the southern zone of Rio de Janeiro's Rocinha Favela, their current location. The tracks had ceased hundreds of yards back, but that was okay. Their device had started picking up small traces of radiation here and there. They were close.

 _Bang!_

 _Bang!_

Unfortunately, so were others. From their vantage point, they all saw men armed to the teeth storming the slums, and all of them were Army. Ross was here.

"How did they find him just as fast as we did?!" questioned Barbara, raging at the unfairness of it all.

"We aren't the only organization with technology, Bobbi, er, agent Mockingbird." chided Clint, fixing his flub halfway through.

"No point in worrying about it now. Everyone out of the car, formation one." ordered Naruto.

Putting the vehicle on standby mode, the four agents jumped out of the levitating car, landing amidst a lot of run down buildings. Naruto took point with Taskmaster and Mockingbird on his sides, and Clint bringing up the rear.

 _Bang!_

 _Bang!_

' _The idiots firing are just making things worse-'_

A very loud, almost bestial, roar resounded throughout the Favela, and it nearly caused Naruto's team to trip over their own feet. None of them had ever heard something like that, something that just hit the nerves like a ton of bricks. Primal instincts told them to stop, turn around, and run.

"Don't be afraid." Naruto's voice penetrated all of the chaos going on around. He hadn't missed a beat as he kept running. He spared his team a look. His eyes held nothing but warmth, and it calmed their nerves. "I'll protect all of you. So keep moving forward."

His quick pep talk did the trick as the three agents were back in stride with their field commander. They followed the sounds of gunfire and screams, which eventually led them to a factory that manufactured Pingo Doce, a soft drink. It grew quiet all of a sudden as all forms of noise ceased. It quickly picked back up again when men were suddenly sent flying out of the factory. Something burst out from atop the roof. That was when all four finally saw the Hulk in person. The surveillance video did this being no justice. Standing over 8' feet, and probably fifteen-hundred pounds with all that muscle, the green giant was quite the sight to behold.

Their viewing was over as quickly as it came when the Hulk leapt away, covering well over a few miles in a single leap. The strength of his leap knocked down a few rickety buildings. He would have ordered his team to get in the car and pursue, but only if he was sure Thaddeus' team would have remained to help any civilians who might be injured after the whole ordeal. They of course didn't appear to. He let out a sigh.

"Taskmaster..."

The man in the skull mask, as he was emulating Naruto who wore a mask, looked at his leader. "Sir?"

"Check the surrounding area for any injured civilians."

The man nodded, and left to complete his mission.

"I don't want to sound cold-hearted, but aren't we going to give chase?" inquired Mockingbird.

"We are, but after we make sure no one was injured." answered Naruto. "These people didn't ask for any of this. This is the least we could. Remember, yes you're an agent, but you're also human. Don't let orders guide who you are. Don't forget that." He lectured. "I learned that the hard-way." he muttered.

Barton and Morse' jaw flexed, as they heard that last statement of his. They gave him a nod. The two accompanied him as he began walking towards the Army men. He was looking for Ross. He needed to make his claim known.

"Found 'em." mumbled the blonde. "Ross!"

The grizzled war veteran heard his name, turned, and felt a scowl appearing on his face. He did not want to deal with this bastard right now. Not when he was so close! "What do you want, Uzumaki?"

"I'm here to tell you, and your men, to stand down." Naruto heard a microscopic scoff, and faced the man it came from. His eyes roamed over the man, and he came across a name, Blonsky. One look at the man told him this man was not in it to capture, but to hunt, to kill. He addressed the General. "This isn't your type of mission, Ross. Your dealing with something far above your pay grade."

The man ignored him, and began to issue out orders to his men. Naruto let out a shallow chuckle as he shook his head. The gall of this man. He tried being nice, it was time to get rough. He forcefully turned the man around, grabbed hold of his neck, and shoved him back into a wall. He didn't care that over fifteen assault rifles were being pointed at him. Clint and Barbara pulled out their respective weapons as well, covering him.

"You and your team are gonna go away for a long time for this, Uzumaki! I swear-" His threat was cut off as the grip around his trachea tightened.

"What court will prosecute us?" he inquired. He sent the older man a smirk as his eyes flashed red for a brief second. "We'll just deny it." said the blonde. "I won't repeat myself again, Ross. Stand down."

He shoved the man once more, a bit harder this time, and left it at that. Before the older man could give his rebuttal, the blonde was already walking away. He grabbed his sore throat, and glared at the back of the blonde. He ignored the condescending smirk the archer was sending him and his team, along with the mocking the woman was giving him for being spoken to like a child, despite his advanced age. His eyes never left the blonde's back.

Hawkeye and Mockingbird soon followed after their commander, and saw him talking with Taskmaster.

"The buildings in this area are abandoned. No lives were lost." said Masters. "We can leave whenever you say."

Naruto nodded. "Good work." He then addressed all three. "Get in the car, and wait for me."

"What're you going to be doing?" inquired Mockingbird, not liking the idea of leaving her commander alone.

"Making a call." He tapped his earpiece. _[Fury. Do you copy?]_

The line was silent for a few seconds. _[Go ahead.]_

 _[Do me a favor and look up the name Blonsky.]_ The man just rubbed him the wrong way, that and it was odd that a man with a Russian name was assisting Ross in this hunt.

 _[Give me a few seconds.]_

Naruto waited a bit before static was heard on the other end. He was back.

 _[Well?]_

 _[...You're not going to like this.]_

 _[What is it?]_

 _[Blonsky, first name Emil, is Russian born, and currently serves as a special-ops commando within the British Royal Marines.]_

 _[You were right. I don't like it.]_ he said, sighing. _[What the hell is Ross doing with soldiers from other countries?]_ he asked. This was the second country, aside from Canada, that was in their country. _  
_

 _[I'd imagine they're on loan to him, so he can complete his mission.]_

Naruto nodded. _[I'd figured as much. Everything always comes back to the super-soldier serum.]_

 _[Agreed.]_ said Fury. _[What better compensation for an allied nation to secretly send in soldiers than a sample of the serum.]_

 _[That's only if they succeed.]_ stated the blonde.

 _[True enough. Do you need anything else?]_

 _[Negative. I'll radio in again when the mission is complete. Over and out.]_

Seeing his car a few yards away, and his team staring at him, he walked over, and hopped in the driver seat. "Everyone ready?" They nodded. The search for Banner continued.

* * *

 _ **~A Day Later~**_

Naruto and his team had followed the telltale signs of destruction left in the wake of Hulk and the force of his mighty leaps. Seeing as they could only travel so many miles in a minute, they were once more trailing the green giant. They were currently in southwest Florida, specifically the Everglades, and they were searching with their eyes since the Geiger counter wasn't reacting.

"Hey! What's that!"

Everyone looked to where Barbara had pointed, and they soon saw what she saw. It was definitely a green goliath, but it wasn't their green goliath. It wasn't entirely an inanimate thing, but it clearly was no longer a man. It was a Man-Thing. It looked up at them hovering above it.

Before anything could happen, Naruto heard his radio come to life. He tapped his earpiece.

 _[Go ahead.]_

 _[Banner's been spotted in New York.]_ said Fury. _[Specifically in Harlem, near your company. It seems we were correct. He went to see Elizabeth Ross after all.]_

Hearing that made Naruto frown. The company Banner had traveled to was not a company at all, not in a literal sense. It was a hospital, one he named and dedicated to the memory of his dead friend. It was called the Isaiah Bradley Memorial Hospital, and the reason Elizabeth was there is because she is the head doctor there, in charge of everything.

 _[Copy that. We're on our way.]_ said Naruto. _[By the way, Fury. Keep an eye on the Everglades. There's a creature down here just mulling about.]_

 _[Is it a threat?]_

 _[Unknown. It's yet to attack.]_

 _[Roger that. I'll send some agents down there to check it out. Over and out.]_

The super-soldier looked at his team. "We've got our coordinates. Banner's back in New York."

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

"Are we there yet?"

"For the last time, no." answered Naruto calmly.

They'd been flying for the better part of an hour, and they were almost there. It had been a decent fly with minimal noise, but then Barbara got bored, and when she got bored...

"How about now?"

"Barbara, so help me, if you say another word..." Naruto left the threat hanging. He was already on edge as it was because of this mission, add the fact he hasn't seen his daughter, or the fact they were heading back to New York, where she currently was, and well, he wasn't in the best of moods right now.

"But I'm so bored, can't we at least listen to the radio?"

"That's it! You're not coming on the next mission."

"Wha? Oh come on! I'm just saying what everyone is thinking!"

Clint sighed. "She's got a point."

Naruto looked at him disbelieving, and then at Masters, who gave a microscopic nod. "Fine! We'll turn on the radio!" He pushed the button. It felt like he was dealing with children here. He would have to teach Laura to be different from these kids, honestly.

"...CEO of Fortune 500 company, Stark Industries, Tony Stark has gone missing in Afghanistan after giving our Armed Forces a live weapons demonstration."

Clint, Bobbi, and even Tony, grimaced when hearing that, and avoided looking at the blonde. Naruto let out a sigh meanwhile. "Sonuvabitch." He tapped his earpiece.

 _[Fury...]_

 _[...Go ahead.]_

 _[Why am I hearing news about Stark on the radio that isn't related to his shenanigans?]_

The blonde heard Fury sigh across the line. _[I'm currently looking into how his schedule was leaked.]_

 _[What do you plan on doing to retrieve him?]_

 _[Once we've gathered the necessary intel, I'm sending in a squad of agents to get him.]_

 _[Be very careful out there, Fury.]_ said Naruto.

 _[I know. That territory belongs to Mandarin, and his Ten Rings organization.]_

Both the man and his organization were still shrouded in mystery, and no amount of spying had gotten SHIELD any closer to knowing what they were really about. All they knew was that they were terrorists hellbent on disrupting peace.

Naruto sighed. _[Just get Stark home. Over and out.]_

"What's the situation with Stark?" inquired Clint.

"Fury's on the job. Focus on the mission at hand." he answered. "We arrive in twenty minutes."

* * *

"Anyone got eyes on him?"

"Affirmative."

"Where?"

"About a hundred yards north." answered Hawkeye, handing his binoculars over to his commander.

The quartet was currently atop one of the many buildings in Harlem, and yards away from them was the hospital Naruto had built. Receiving the binoculars, the blonde looked where Clint was looking. He was right. There he was, clear as day, and that was the odd part.

"Why is he out during broad daylight, where everyone can see him?" he asked. "And who's the woman he's speaking with? She looks familiar."

"Give me a sec." answered Mockingbird. "...The reason she looks familiar is because we vetted her when we initially started searching for Banner. That's his cousin, albeit a distant one. Her name is Jennifer Walters. Side note, she's a lawyer."

"Is Banner seeking legal counsel for what occurred at the Triskelion?" questioned Taskmaster.

"It's possible, but unlikely." replied the blonde. "Then again, I don't know if he even remembers what happened the night he transformed. He might think everything's his fault." He shook his head. He was getting off track. "I'm going in, alone." he said, looking at his team. "Hopefully if he sees I'm alone he won't decide to run. While I'm doing that, I want the rest of you to set-up a perimeter-"

 _Bang!_

A very loud gunshot rang throughout the area, yet there was no chaos, no noise, it was eerily quiet. He searched for any wounded, but could find none. He looked back at Banner, and he grimaced. The bullet had missed him entirely, and it had hit his cousin, Jennifer. She was on the ground, and she was losing a lot of blood. All hell broke loose the next second as a mighty roar escaped Banner's mouth as he went green.

" _YOU KILLED JENNY!"_

Hulk leapt away to confront those who killed his cousin. If he wasn't mistaken, then Central Park was in the direction he leapt. He needed to get over there, now! He turned to his team.

"Hawkeye, get to the highest vantage point and take down anyone suspicious, non-lethal." he ordered.

"On it!"

"Mockingbird, check on Jennifer. She can't be dead yet." he said. "Get her into the hospital and into the hands of Elizabeth."

"You got it boss!"

"Taskmaster, start evacuating the area, but also be on the lookout for anyone suspicious." he ordered.

"Sir!"

"Get to work!"

The three agents moved as one, each leaving to preform their assigned task. Naruto meanwhile used his sharingan to spy on Hulk, and his foe. He let out a sigh. He should've known better than to believe Ross was smart enough to stay away. He spotted the man in his chopper, berating the sniper, who lo and behold, was Blonsky, for missing the target and hitting a civilian. That bullet was never meant for Banner. It seems he wanted to force Hulk out of Banner, well, wish granted.

As he made his way over to the park, he noted that none of Ross' weapons were doing damage, except for one. It was a Stark Sonic Cannon. Though that to eventually was destroyed. Thankfully, the citizens in the area had enough sense to not stop and stare, and run. Those that didn't were forcibly moved out and away from the area by him. Doing it as quickly as possible, as he didn't want to see his brothers and sisters in arms dying needlessly, he had evacuated the park. Only he, the Army, and Hulk remained in the park. Seeing as part of his job was done, it was now time to start the other.

"Hulk!" The green goliath turned around and spotted him. It eyed him for a second before returning its attention to the Army. "...Banner!" That did the trick. Hulk was staring him down in anger. "Do I have your attention now?"

" _HULK SMASH PUNY BANNER!"_

Naruto's eyes widened a fraction as the speed Hulk charged at him with was very deceptive for a being his size. He was forced to dodge, but not before the green giant locked eyes with his mangekyō. If he couldn't talk to him in the real world, then maybe the illusionary world of Tsukuyomi would suit him.

* * *

" _You settled down now?"_

" _GET OUT OF HULK'S HEAD!"_

" _Relax. I just want to-"_

" _HULK NO TALK! HULK SMASH!"_

* * *

The illusion didn't even last a minute inside, or outside for that matter. The Hulk's anger was simply to much for it, and he destroyed it. Having no other choice, Naruto began to summon his susanoo when he was suddenly blindsided. Coming to a sliding stop, he was shocked to see it was Blonsky.

' _No, it couldn't be.'_ he thought. _'That was not the strength of a normal human male. It's bordering on superhuman.'_

How the man had acquired such strength in a matter of hours was beyond him, but if he had to take a stab at it, he would guess it was the failed variation of the super-soldier serum developed by the Army. It would certainly explain how the man acquired such strength in a matter of days.

"C'mon Banner!" shouted Blonsky. "The man who killed your family is right here."

Naruto's eyes widened when hearing that. The British man must have a death wish or something to announce that. Whatever his reasoning, he got what he wanted. Hulk rushed him, easily knocking him back. Before the British Marine could counter, the green goliath was already on him, his very large foot raised high. Hulk brought it down, abruptly killing the soldier.

Letting Blonsky lie in the bed he created, he approached the transformed man, who was looking at him cautiously, as he still remembered the illusion from before. When Hulk tensed, so did he.

" _STAY OUT OF HULK'S HEAD, PUNY HUMAN!"_

"No can do buddy." said Naruto.

The two charged at each other again, and their eyes locked yet again. This time though, Naruto did not trap Hulk within his Tsukuyomi. He decided to go with something a bit simpler.

"Bruce..."

Hulk's head snapped to his left when he heard two soft voices calling out to him. His green eyes grew in size as he spotted two figures his subconscious was very familiar with. "Jenny. Betty." Eyes so full of anger seconds ago started to become softer and softer until they were no longer green, but brown, and on the body of a human man.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. His illusion had worked, and Bruce Banner was no longer the green rage monster known as Hulk. He apprehended the scientist, and with one hand weaved a number of seals. Ross was still present, but he couldn't attack what he couldn't see.

 **"** _ **Kokuangyo no Jutsu (Bringer-Of-Darkness Technique)!"**_

The entire area was blanketed by a layer of darkness, and nothing could be seen. Everyone who was still present within was forced to retreat, as was Ross, whom began to fly away. Seeing as he was far enough away, Naruto began to take the unconscious Banner to his hospital. It wouldn't be long until Ross returned to track Banner down again, but by that time, Fury and SHIELD would be here in force.

* * *

"So what's the plan boss?"

Naruto sighed as he looked at Mockingbird. The group has since reunited after completing their own assigned tasks, and met back up in the hospital. They were currently in the room which was housing the unconscious Banner.

"I've already called Fury." he replied. "Unfortunately, since Ross and the Army is involved, he might not get here right away. Tons of bureaucratic crap. So until he arrives, we're on our own."

Unbeknownst to the other inhabitants of the room, Banner had woken up, and heard their discussion. Though he cared very little for it. Only one thing mattered to him right now.

"My cousin Jennifer, how is she doing?"

Every weapon held by those who studied under Naruto was out, and pointed directly at Banner. Acting quickly, Naruto got in front of his team.

"Easy there." he said. He eyed each member of his team. "Stand down." he ordered calmly. He didn't need Banner transforming again. All three slowly began to lower their weapons. Breathing just a bit easier, he addressed Banner. "Your cousin is currently still in surgery."

Jennifer had taken a sniper rifle round, so he honestly didn't know how long it was going to take to get out, though he supposed it all depended on where she was shot. The door to the room they were all in opened, and speak of the devil, in walked Jennifer's surgeon, along with his chief of security.

"Betty..." whispered Banner.

Elizabeth sent the man a soft smile. "Hello, Bruce."

Ignoring the touching reunion of the two lovebirds, Naruto addressed his chief of security. "What are you still doing here, Luke? I thought I ordered the area evacuated?" He looked at Masters.

Taskmaster shrugged. "I did as instructed, but he refused to leave with the rest of the staff that wasn't needed."

"How could I leave one of the only places that represents hope for this community when it was attacked earlier?" Argued the chief of security.

Naruto sighed. "I understand that, but your life is more important than a building. Those can always be rebuilt." he stated. "If you really want to help, then help the people out on the streets during this crisis."

The man opened his mouth and then abruptly closed it. His employer, and friend, was right. Instead of protecting a near empty building, not that the people in it needed his protection, as he eyed all of the weapons the three soldiers by his boss' side had, the people outside of it needed him more. He gave his friend a nod. He would ask him later who they were and what they were doing with him.

"I better see you at my bar after this whole thing is over." said Luke.

"You can count on it buddy."

Naruto bid his friend farewell and returned his attention to the matter at hand. "What's the status of the patient, Elizabeth?"

Betty sighed. "I've removed the bullet, and patched her up, but..."

"But what?" asked Bruce.

"She's lost a lot of blood." she answered. "If she's going to survive, then she's going to need a blood transfusion."

Before anything else could be said, Banner was on his feet, and his arm presented. "Take mine."

Hearing that made the super-soldier frown. He wasn't sure if Banner and Jennifer had the same blood type, and even if they did, he was extremely hesitant in allowing another to house Banner's irradiated blood. Then again, if he refuses to allow the man to do so, and she dies as a result, well, then it's safe to say Hulk would be coming after him with a vengeance. He sighed.

"Calm down, Banner." said the blonde. He could see the man was becoming impatient. "Transforming here will only hurt Jennifer's chances of survival." Hearing that did the trick.

Naruto walked over to a nearby window to get some fresh air, and was surprised to see the sun had just gone down. The hours in the day had just flown by. He took a breath and exhaled. Before he could give his answer on how to proceed with the transfusion, the power to the building went out. He sighed and let out a curse.

"Goddammit." Before Banner could have a panic attack, he calmed him down. "Don't worry. I have a lot of generators on standby if something ever happens to the power." he reassured. A few seconds had passed and nothing had turned back on. He turned to his team. "Go and find out what's going on." he ordered.

The trio nodded, and left. A minute passed.

"Why aren't the generators on yet?" inquired Banner, fidgety.

The blonde ignored him for a moment and decided to find out what was taking so long. _[Barton? Are you there?]_ Nothing, he tried again. _[Morse, do you copy?]_ Again nothing. _[Masters, pick up.]_

His hand was being forced here, he had to check it out. He knew that leaving Banner could potentially lead to his escape once more, but he'd rather have a human on the run, rather than his counterpart on a rampage because he didn't do anything.

"I'll be back."

Naruto walked out of the room, through many hallways, and came upon a single door. It led down to the basement, where he kept the generators. Before he could turn the doorknob, he suddenly braced himself as he was blindsided once more, only this time, it was much harder. Had he not felt the ground shake moments earlier, he could have really gotten hurt. The force behind the blindside hit sent him crashing through his building wall, and into the streets of Harlem.

"Ugh..." The blonde's head was ringing. Other than that, he was fine. Getting up off the pavement, he spotted his attacker. It was a creature, but one he did not recognize.

"Do you like the new and improved me."

Until it opened it's mouth. He recognized the voice, it was Blonsky, or what was left of him. He was no longer a man, but an...Abomination. It seems the effects of the serum finally took place.

"What the hell happened, Blonsky?"

The Abomination grinned. "Looks like the Army's super-soldier serum and Banner's gamma radiation had a little side-effect on me." he revealed. "Now I've got power to defeat Hulk."

Naruto's radio suddenly came to life as he was forced to ignore that little revelation for the time being.

 _[...Sir.]_

It was Taskmaster.

 _[I'm here.]_ he replied. _[Keep whatever you have to say short.]_ He had to be ready for when Blonsky attacked.

 _[We were ambushed by an unknown creature.]_ said Taskmaster. _[We would have contacted you earlier but...]_

 _[But what?]_

 _[...It's Mockingbird. She's been fatally wounded by the creature.]_ answered Masters. _[If she does not receive medical attention-]_

 _[Don't finish that sentence!]_ roared Clint in the background.

 _[...She'll die.]_

Naruto grit his teeth. If there was ever a time for divine intervention, then it was now. His ears twitched all of a sudden, and he looked up. Talk about timing. Fury was above him in a chopper. He tapped his earpiece.

 _[Taskmaster, have Hawkeye bring Mockingbird to the surface. Fury's here.]_ he said. _[If anyone can save her, it's him.]_

 _[Copy that. What do you want me to do?]_

 _[Double check to make sure there are no civilians present.]_

 _[Roger. Over and out.]_

With most of everything being taken care of, all that remained was Abomination. Naruto began to call upon his susanoo, but not the large version. He called upon something he'd been working on for quite sometime. It was smaller in size than what he's produced before, and what it lacked in pure strength more than made up for in sheer speed. He was eventually enveloped in an ethereal armor resembling that of a samurai with a mask resembling that of a hannya. The mouth of the mask opened slightly to let a breath out.

Red eyes narrowed behind the ethereal suit of armor, and that caused Blonsky to grin. A gunshot must have gone off because Blonsky rushed forward at unimaginable speeds. Naruto for his part stood there calmly, and bent his knees slightly. Normally, he wasn't fast enough to do this, but today was the lone exception. His kōdachi appeared on the left side of his hip, and he took hold of the grip. Seconds before Abomination could touch him, he vanished, and reappeared behind him, blade out of it's sheath.

' _The cut was to shallow.'_

Naruto watched at Blonsky fell on the ground face first. He wasn't aiming to kill the man, at least not yet anyways. Blonsky still had information he sought, like who the other operatives were who died in Banner's lab were. He aimed to immobilize him by removing his leg, but had not anticipated how thick the muscle would be, or how fast it would heal, as Abomination was already up.

" _YOU KILLED JENNY!"_

' _Talk about a situation going from bad to worse.'_

A side of the hospital building suddenly exploded outward as Hulk came crashing through, enraged as all hell, though it was not directed at him. It was directed towards Abomination. Going against his better judgment, he decided to let Hulk fight. He would monitor. Plus, he needed to check on Jennifer. To see if she was actually dead or not. Leaving the two behemoths to fight in the streets of Harlem, he dropped his susanoo and returned to Jennifer's room. He breathed easy. She was still alive. It was then that he spotted little droplets next to her IV, along with a scalpel.

' _Well shit.'_

It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. Banner gave some of his blood to Jennifer. He let out a sigh. He hoped nothing came of this. Leaving her bedside for a moment, he walked on over to the window.

 _Boom!_

He moved his head just as the force from Hulk and Abomination shattered the room window in front of him, along with every other window in the vicinity. Peering back down, and watching the fight closely for a few seconds, it was easy for him to see who was going to win, and he didn't even need his special eyes to show him that. The angrier Hulk got, the stronger he became. He was easily overpowering the Abomination. The fight was over before long, and thankfully, he didn't have to help Banner revert back to his old self. SHIELD had moved in once it was over as well, as he found Fury standing next to the scientist, issuing orders.

"Prepare Blonsky for transport to The Cube."

"Cube? What's that?" inquired the blonde, never having heard of it.

"It's a prison." answered Fury. "Had it made during this whole incident. It's small right now, but it's purpose is to hold irradiated superhumans."

Banner grimaced when he heard that. "...Is that where I'm going as well?"

Fury eyed the man. "...That all depends on you doc. Are you going to be a threat?" Banner shook his head furiously. "Then you don't have anything to worry about." The one-eyed man motioned for one of his people to escort Banner back to HQ.

"Don't worry about Jennifer." said Naruto, grabbing the man's attention. "She'll continue receiving treatment while she's under my roof." Banner gave him a grateful nod, and he was gone. "Speaking of medical attention, how's Mockingbird?" he asked Fury.

The director sighed. "I'm not going to sugarcoat things. The injury sustained is life threatening. She's currently being transported to the Triskelion for surgery." explained Fury. "If all else fails, then I plan administering my variation of the super-soldier serum to her. It's not ideal, but if it saves her life, then it's worth it. Wouldn't you agree?"

Naruto nodded. He would rather she not take Fury's serum, since who knows what side-effects it will have on her, but beggars can't be choosers right now. She has a better chance at surviving that than if he were to administer his own to her "What do you plan on doing with Banner?"

"He's not going to prison if that's what you're asking." replied the man. Naruto nodded, he knew that of course.

"I know."

Fury nodded. "I'm going to question him. About his transformation, what makes it happen, can he or can't he control it, and a myriad of other things." answered the one-eyed man. "Once done, I'm going to isolate him from the world."

"If I may make a suggestion?"

"Suggest away."

"If you're going to do that, then make sure Banner doesn't get bored." said the blonde. "I know it's his anger that makes him stronger, but it might be his emotional state that triggers the transformation. He might change if he's bored being locked away."

"...I'll make sure he's provided with certain amenities."

Naruto nodded. "What happens after you're done questioning him?" asked the blonde. "Are you going to hide him and throw away the key?"

Fury shrugged. "The thought crossed my mind." admitted the director. "I've since changed my tune on the idea however."

"Oh? Do tell."

"While the idea of using Hulk as a soldier is tempting, he's to unpredictable." said Fury. "I scrapped the idea. Banner on the other-hand..."

"So he's going to be working for you while you keep him isolated and entertained."

Fury tapped his nose. "Dr. Robert Banner is simply to great an asset to keep him under lock and key."

While the blonde agreed that Banner could do more good working, it was the way he employed the man that troubled him. Fury was basically going to strong arm the man into servitude, with the threat of a prison sentence in The Cube hanging there. There was a reason Fury brought it up within earshot of the scientist. Unfortunately, seeing as he wasn't director, he couldn't do much for the man's situation. He gave the man a nod and left it at that.

"By the way Fury. I know how to classify Hulk."

"Oh?"

"Omega-level threat."

After the whole incident involving James Jaspers in the United Kingdom, and the cybiote, Naruto had brought something to the attention of Fury. A threat-level system. The Fury classified him as Omega-level, and he had to assume that was because of his skills and abilities. Going from that, both he and Fury began to create other rankings, along with classifying other superhumans.

He still didn't see how he was classified as an Omega-level threat by the cybiote, but then again, it was from a different reality. Who knows what parallels that universe had with this one. Perhaps he gained more power in that other universe to earn that classification? Who knows. Only time will tell if it ever happens to him. He let out a sigh.

Fury and SHIELD were gone, having cleaned and cleared out in minutes, like they were never there in the first place. They had left him alone in the empty streets of Harlem, amidst all the destruction. He looked at his half destroyed hospital and sighed again. He had some work to do.

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **November 14th, 2001**_

Retrieve Tony Stark. Those were the three words uttered to him by Nicholas Fury of SHIELD.

After having a full month off to rest physically, and mentally, the team was brought together once more for this mission. This time it was to bring a prodigal son home. All of Fury's other teams had easily been dispatching Ten Rings members, but were no closer to actually locating him. Hence his team.

He didn't know what Barton, Morse, or Masters did during their time-off, but he hoped it helped them relax. Him? He spent the entire month with Laura, catching up on what he missed because of the Hulk mission. Speaking of Banner, the man hasn't transformed once since he started his isolation. He was currently assisting them on this mission by trying to triangulate Stark for them with all of the intel that has been gathered so far.

"Can we turn the radio on?"

Naruto's musing was interrupted by, yet again, Mockingbird. He eyed her through his rear-view mirror. Not much had changed with her after she was given Fury's variation of the serum. Aside from a few superhuman enhancements. She was still the same, and he was glad for that. He let out a sigh. Seeing as this mission was just starting out, and he wasn't irritable unlike the last time she asked this question, he gave her a nod. He slapped her reaching hand away from his radio.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"My car means my radio." he explained. "We're going to listen to what I wanna listen to. That's not a problem for you, is it?" he asked. "Because you can always walk to our destination."

Mockingbird sighed. "Just put on something good."

Naruto nodded, agreeing. "Don't worry. I'll put on something classic."

"Ugh..." She was groaning already.

The blonde rolled his eyes, and jacked in his iPod mini. This particular model wasn't supposed to come out for another three years, but he knew someone at Apple Inc. He got a prototype, and so far he was loving every minute of it. Using the click wheel, he scrolled down to this song of choice.

Sounds of guns, explosions, and rapid speaking was heard throughout the vehicle, and that was when the music began to play. It slowly started with a guitar, then the drums, and lastly the vocals. Clint sent his commander a nod. He knew this song. Apparently, so did Bobbi.

"Metallica huh. Good choice." she commented. "I thought for sure you were going to play some Lionel Richie."

Naruto snorted. "Why? Because we're flying into a war-zone?" She nodded, embarrassed. "You watch to many movies."

Mockingbird shrugged, not going to deny it. "What's our first destination?" interrupted Taskmaster.

"We're going to start at the last known location and go from there."

"So the capital, Kabul."

Naruto nodded slightly. "Just north of the capital actually." he said. "From there, we follow the trail of the Ten Rings, and hopefully it'll lead us to Stark."

Nothing else was said as the three agents under his command digested his words, and mentally began to prepare themselves for this task ahead. And for the possibility that they may end up finding Stark's dead body. The rest of the trip was ridden in silence.

* * *

 _ **~Three and a Half Weeks Later~**_

 _[Anyone have eyes on our target?]_

Naruto, Baron, Masters, and Morse were currently in the Badakhshan province, the last stop on their list. Normally, it should take more than three and a half weeks to search half of Afghanistan's thirty-four provinces, but most weren't Naruto Uzumaki. While his team was tasked with searching through the sky with his car, he traversed the land, often speaking with certain locals. It was through this, and some mind walking, that their search time was cut in half.

Of the following twenty locations they'd busted, and eventually burned to the ground, four were dummy locations, fifteen were real, but were only used as weapon depots, and the last was an oddity. It was on the border of Badakhshan and China. The last location was merely a large mountain, with a very large cave mouth, that was blocked by a very, very, large boulder. It was guarded by Shaolin Monks. Or so he initially believed.

A misunderstanding eventually led to a fight between their groups. His team was holding their own, but even he could see it was only a matter of time until their opponents numbers won out. This was despite Bobbi having a few qualities from the super-soldier serum, or Taskmaster's photographic reflexes. He eventually put a stop to the battle, knocking them out with his sharingan. Deciding to find out just who these people were, and how they acquired their strange power, he dove into one of their minds. He had begun to traverse the mind before he was forcefully expelled.

Seeing as that path was closed to him, he instead chose to just ask what they were doing. It worked this time around. Before they had started fighting, he had tried speaking to them, but then things turned a bit sour. One started yelling, pointing his weapon, and before long the others followed suit. The herd mentality was quite annoying. However, now that he had one alone, things went a bit smoother, just a bit.

The man, whom he'd heard being called Nu-An, said they were warriors from K'un-Lun, and their soul reason for guarding the area was to ensure that the jade dragon, Fin Fang Foom, never awoke again. He would have asked the man where this K'un-Lun was located, or how powerful this dragon was, but one look in his eyes told him the man would never answer. He could respect the man and his devotion to his home and mission, so he left it that. However, just because he said that didn't mean SHIELD isn't going to investigate them. He'd phoned Fury as soon as they had left the area.

 _[Negative.]_ said three voices over the radio.

The team was currently hitting the last location gathered from their intel. Once they had swept the area of everything, and hopefully found Stark, they were done. If they didn't find their target, well, then they were starting all over again. That being said, yes it was the last spot, but this one felt different when compared to the others. Not only were there more weapon crates, but twice as many men as well.

Naruto suddenly looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the sun. Judging by it's height, only a few more hours of sunlight were left. He nodded to himself.

 _[Regroup for the moment.]_ he ordered.

 _[What's going on?]_ inquired Clint.

 _[I've got a plan.]_ answered the super-soldier. _[Seeing as we've only got three hours of daylight left. I don't see a point in attacking anytime soon.]_

 _[So when do we attack?]_

 _[During the magic hour.]_

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

 _[Everyone in position?]_

 _[Affirmative.]_

 _[Roger.]_

 _[Copy that.]_

The super-soldier took a deep breath, and exhaled. _[Remember, we've only got a few minutes until the sun begins to rise. Take 'em out quick, and as silently as you can.]_ he ordered. _[In three...two...one…]_

The line went dead.

Overlooking the entire camp from his perch, Clint used his sharp eyesight to see exactly what his team was doing. He watched them move with coordinated precision as they methodically began to remove every single member of the Ten Rings.

Hawkeye wasn't present just so he could be their eyes from afar, no, he was here to fight. Normally, a person with his specific set of skills wasn't used to snipe, but then again, most archers weren't him. He never missed a target. Sentry after sentry was taken down by his bow.

' _I should get started on my other job.'_

Once he was done covering his team, he removed a single arrow from his quiver, he nocked it onto his bowstring, and let it fly. As expected, it hit it's mark. He repeated this process until every single crate of weapons had an arrow sticking out of it. Returning his attention to his team, he noticed that they were about halfway done with eliminating most of the terrorists. His attention diverted to the east. The sun was beginning to rise in the horizon. He tapped his earpiece.

 _[Sun's beginning to rise in the east.]_ he informed. _[You've got twenty seconds. Make 'em count.]_

 _[Copy that.]_ They replied.

Once daylight lit up this valley, all of his teammates would be visible, and prime targets for any of the surviving Ten Rings members. Not about to let that happen, he began to eliminate any that came across his vision. Just as he was about to inform his team that the sun was up, he heard gunfire and a lot of screaming. Looking every which way, he couldn't pinpoint where all the chaos was coming from. He tapped his earpiece again.

 _[Anyone got eyes on what's going on!?]_

 _[Negative.]_ replied Taskmaster and Mockingbird.

 _[It's coming from inside the cave.]_

Hearing the voice of his commander, he looked to the cave, and was treated to one hell of a sight. Full grown men were running out of the cave, screaming at the top of their lungs, and he honestly couldn't blame them. A streak of fire came out after them. Wondering what was causing it, he soon received his answer. A hefty suit of armor emerged from the mouth of the cave, ruthlessly killing Ten Rings members left and right.

 _[Any of you seeing what I'm seeing?]_

 _[We can all see it now, Hawkeye.]_ answered Naruto.

 _[Oh good. Thought I was going crazy for a second.]_

 _[You're not, but you are the only one who doesn't have their hands full at the moment.]_ said the super-soldier. _[I want you to follow the suit of armor and find out who's controlling it.]_

Clint sighed. _[Copy that.]_

Naruto continued to systematically eliminate any terrorist that attempted to attack him, but he wasn't paying them much attention. He was looking for one specific man amongst this terrorist cell. His name is Raza Hamidmi Al-Wazar, said to be one of the commanders under The Mandarin. He found out the man was here after entering the mind of Abu Bakar, the second-in-command after Raza. He eventually found the man he was looking for at the mouth of the cave, buried under rubble. Checking his pulse, he frowned. The man was dead, and so was a potential lead to his leader. Cursing his luck, he moved on from the man, and started to head further into the cave, to look for Stark, when he received a call.

 _[Kagebōshi, do you copy?]_

 _[Go ahead Hawkeye.]_

 _[So I found out who was in the armor.]_

 _[Yeah? Who?]_

 _[Our target, Tony Stark.]_

Well that certainly worked out in their favor, he was alive, and out of the cave no less.

 _[Copy that.]_ he replied. _[Secure the area until SHIELD arrives. We'll meet up with you shortly.]_

 _[Roger. Over and out.]_

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

Naruto had wanted to speak with Stark, to see how the man was doing, but didn't get the chance. That and one look at his face told him it would have gone in one ear and out the other. They had all seen the look on his face. He wasn't the same man who had originally came to Afghanistan. Being held prisoner, and to his own weapons no less, was an eye opening experience he would never forget.

While his team was picked up by a SHIELD chopper, Stark was picked up by the Air Force, and by the son of a friend no less, James Rhodes. It felt so long ago now when both he and Terrence first had that conversation about a name for a baby boy he may or may not have. The reason they hadn't all ridden together was due to Fury interfering. Something about having a plan, and Stark being apart of it.

He let out a sigh. He didn't want to think of Fury's plans right now. All he wanted to do right now was the exact same thing his team was doing. Sleeping. He leaned back in his chair, and slowly began to close his eyes. When he opened them again, they would be home.

* * *

– _**Two Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **January 5th, 2002**_

Naruto was currently in his bedroom watching the television, all the while absentmindedly packing for his trip. Normally, he didn't have all that much time to watch TV, nor did he really want to since there wasn't much on these days, not since one of his favorite shows, 24, had their season finale, but this was different. It involved Stark.

The CEO of Stark Industries was currently holding a live press-conference, detailing what occurred out in Los Angeles just a few weeks ago. How Obadiah Stane, the bad dude, Stark's words not his, was the man responsible for his kidnapping in Afghanistan.

"What do you think he's trying to say, Fury?" Naruto had been speaking to the one-eyed man over the phone since the beginning of the presser.

"Hell if I know." grunted the man, currently on his way to California. "Stark should just stick to the cards that my agents prepared for him."

Returning to the screen, both men watched Stark, and both had seen the moment of clarity shine in his eyes. He looked out at the reporters as he put his cards down.

"The truth is...I am Iron Man."

"Sonuvabitch!"

Naruto actually burst out in laughter, never having seen this coming. "Well, that was certainly ballsy of him."

"I sent those agents there specifically to stop Stark from saying that." he sighed. He could feel a major headache coming.

"If his secret is out, why are you still flying over there for?" The cat was out of the bag as they say.

"Aside from stopping him from saying that, I also planned on having another talk with Stark."

"Oh? What kind of talk?" inquired the blonde.

Fury remained silent for a second. "...I plan on revealing to him that's he's part of a bigger world now, a world he just entered voluntarily."

Ah, now the blonde understood. Well, that was certainly going to be a lengthy conversation. "Go easy on the kid when you get there."

"...I plan to."

Somehow, Naruto didn't quite believe him.

"You know where I'm going, but I don't know where you're going?" questioned Fury.

"I'm going out."

That wasn't what he wanted to hear. The director of SHIELD decided to change topics. "You're going to be sorely missed out in the field."

"Unlikely." said Naruto. "My team can get the job done without me." he reassured. "Hell, all three of 'em can lead a squad of their own if they so choose." He'd trained them like that, giving each member of the team time as squad leader during specific missions.

"I hope you're right." He hung up.

No sooner had he put his personal phone down did the door to his bedroom suddenly blow open, and in barged his four, eventually five, year old daughter, Laura. She had been doing this all day. Coming in unannounced and asking him the same question with a pouty face.

"Do you have to leave again?"

"I'm afraid so sweetie." He didn't like leaving her, again, since lord knows he's done it enough, but he kinda had to this time. A favor was called in for a friend. "A friend of mine is in trouble, and they asked for daddy's help." he explained. "And what do we do when our friends are in trouble?" he asked her.

"We always help a friend in need."

The super-soldier nodded, proud of her. "That's my girl." Naruto pulled her into a hug. "Are you done packing your things? Because the Drew's are on their way to pick you up."

Laura pulled away from her father, her chest puffed out, and smile on her face. "Yep! I'm already done packing all my stuffed animals."

Naruto shook his head and let out a tiny chuckle. "I'll be over in a minute to help you." She shrugged, and left his room.

He was still amazed at just how quickly his daughter was growing up. Though in hindsight, he really shouldn't be, considering what she had flowing in her veins. Speaking of that, while he had seen small snippets of the super-soldier serum, such as her punching harder, or moving faster than a girl her age should, he's yet to see anything from Kaguya's blood manifest. Either she didn't inherit anything, which he highly doubted, or it's yet to awaken. His money was on the latter. Regardless of all that though, he still planned on training her, abilities or no.

Wishing he could stay and continue watching her grow up, he looked down at his plane ticket and let out a sigh. "The things I do for friends." he muttered. "New Mexico, here I come." He eventually left the room to help Laura finishing packing.

* * *

 _ **End – Chapter Thirteen**_

* * *

 _ **Took some liberty with the Hulk origin. I used scenes from the movie, parts of the comic, and added a bit of my own flavor. Honestly speaking, this origin was what was holding the story up. That, and work, plus my laziness, but also the fact that I was fleshing out the time-line I created for this story. Gave Betty Ross a different background as well.  
**_

 _ **Wanted to give Wendell Rand-K'ai, aka Wendell Rand, a cameo in the K'un-Lun scene, but it just wouldn't have worked, mostly because of the time-line. Instead I went with different characters to cameo, Nu-An and Fin Fang Foom. Though only one of them will make an appearance later on.**_

 _ **For obvious reasons, I couldn't really change much of what makes the two MCU movies used in this chapter different. The only thing I did was tweak them by adding other things to them. Like certain characters, or a cameo here and there, which sets up stuff later on. That is what is going to happen in the next chapter as well. You're going to see most of the movie again, but with a touch from me here and there.**_

 _ **Okay, if you read the message up top, then I am now going to post just what I have added to the first twelve chapters. If you don't want to re-read them to find out, which is fine, then you can read these:**_

Very has little changed in chapters 1 thru 5; mostly clean-up – grammar, with additional scenes and dialogue added as well. There was only one significant detail altered throughout. It's the relationship between Naruto and Tsunade. In the original, #4, I had him forgive her, and then hook up. That doesn't happen in the re-write. He does forgive her, but they don't hook up. Instead, he begins a relationship with Namora, though that doesn't lead anywhere either. It all comes to a head towards the end of the 5th chapter when he's taken advantage of by Tsunade after he reads some terrible news about Bucky, which is how she now gets pregnant with his child in the re-written version.

 _Not all that much changed in chapter 6, mostly dialogue and a few added scenes, especially between Naruto and Brünhilde. In the original, Naruto denied her advances, he didn't in the re-write, though no Lemon scene was added(Sorry). Also, the Asgardians are no longer Eternals, but Gods, as are the rest of the pantheons, though extra-dimensional they may be – Used their comic book origins, look it up on the Marvel Database. Reason for doing this was because I have something planned later on that needed them back as Gods._

Chapter 7 – The conversation between Naruto and Death was somewhat the same. He still got marked by her, and Tsunade, with child, still died at the hands of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. He still meets with the Shintō Kami. Still becomes their champion, still gets new clothes along with Adamantium Kōdachi's. The history of the pantheon(Japanese) is still the same, except they're not Eternals, as stated above. Take this next detail as you will. Since he has Kaguya's blood, the blood of a goddess, he is technically a Demigod. Though not a traditional one of course. He is also now related to Amaterasu, Kandakoro, and Izanagi because of Kaguya's blood, along with a few other gods and goddesses.

 _Chapter 8 stayed mostly the same. Added new characters to the Department K scene – Dr. Dale Rice, Dr. Martin Sutter, and Dr. Adam Harkins. Two will play a role in the future. Brought the Weapon Plus Program into the story, and it's ties to Naruto past. The Wendigo fight was the same with some extra dialogue at the end of the fight. Still meets the Eternals in the Savage Land. He also still gets a coating of Anti-metal for his kusarigama, but also gains new combat gear made of Vibranium, similar to that of what Black Panther wears, as Naruto asked for this from the Eternals as well, seeing as he couldn't get an entire weapon made of Anti-metal._

Not much has changed in chapters 9-12 except for a few things. Introduced a new minor character in chapter 11, who eventually has a son that plays a big role later on, though with a different character that is not Naruto. Naruto still became a Man on the Wall, still fought The Sentry, and won, still watched Adriana, Morita, and Dernier die. Steve was still found by Namor. Sarah Kinney still died, and still gave birth to Laura Kinney. Doctors Martin Sutter and Adam Harkins both played a role in Sarah's death as they both worked for Mr. Sinister. Used them instead of the OC created for that scene in the original chapter. Still fought against The Fury, and won.

* * *

 ** _REVIEW_**


	14. Chapter 14

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Sorry for the extra long wait time. Hopefully, this extra long chapter will make up for transgressions I may have committed against my readers. This was supposed to release on Christmas, as a gift from me to you, but I had to work, so I didn't have time. Consider this a late present, and I wish all of you a Happy New Year. To 2017 we go!**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

 _ **January 6th, 2002**_

Naruto was standing outside of the entrance to the Roswell International Air Center, and he was not in a good mood, far from it. Before he had boarded the public airliner, not his private one, as the one who called in the favor wanted this situation handled discreetly, which meant incognito, he had received a frantic call from one of his assistants. Specifically, the assistant at Uzumaki Industries. Two employees had decided to hand in their two weeks.

Now, normally, he wasn't one to get so worked up over things like this, it happens in businesses all the time. He only wished it was two different employees. He was playing favorites here, he knew this, but he really didn't want to lose them. The two in question are Susan Storm, and Victor von Doom. Two of the brightest minds he's ever come across in his life. It was because of this situation that he ended up arriving the following morning instead of the night before. All so he could speak to the two of them personally.

Susan is very much like him, well, outside of the superficial similarities anyways. She is as fierce a woman as he's ever met, and he's met quite a few in his time. She's also very intelligent to boot. It was these qualities, among many, that attracted many to her. Him included. Though his attraction was more physical than emotional.

It was nice being a single dad, since he could focus on Laura more, but he was still a man, and a man has needs. So he was just looking for someone he could have a good time with, that's all. Apparently, so was she. After reading the company background check she took, he could understand why.

A deceased mother who died in an automobile accident. A father who was once a renowned surgeon now turned gambler and drunk, and whom still blamed himself for not being able to save his wife. And a younger brother who is fascinated with automobiles, despite them being the cause of their mother's death. It really is no wonder why she's so guarded about who she lets into her life.

With her family in shambles, or near it, her stress had obviously risen. It wasn't hard to see, but it was going to be hard to relieve. That's when he entered. It started off as casual encounters at work, mostly conversations and such, but once they noticed how well they clicked together, well, those encounters became much more frequent. It eventually led to them dating, and then after a while, copulation. That was the release they both needed, her more so than him.

Victor was different from the others. He was of course one of the men who was attracted to Susan, but it wasn't the only thing that defined him. The Latverian man, which he also learned from the company background check, was just cut from a different cloth, he could tell. In that same vein, Doom could tell the same about him. Power recognized power. It was as simple as that. And if there's one thing he could tell about Doom, the man respected power, and he has it in spades.

Anyways, the reason the duo put in their two weeks notice was because they had received an invitation to participate in a once in a lifetime opportunity, Susan's words, not his. The two had been invited to join a think tank that was recruiting the youngest, and brightest, minds on the planet. All in the hopes of creating the scientific leaders of tomorrow. This was all happening in the Baxter Building.

The blonde let out a tired sigh. He honestly couldn't be angry at the two for accepting the invite. They needed to do what was best for them. If he were in their shoes, he'd have done the same thing. So with that in mind, he decided to give them a few parting words before they left for greener pastures in two weeks. He told them that when he first hired them, he saw something in them, something special. It was obvious those overseeing the think tank saw it as well. He told them he wanted them to go to the Baxter Building, and prove him right. To become what he knows they're capable of becoming.

Most business people usually weren't so...cordial when it came to those who were leaving, especially when those leaving were so talented, but he wasn't most people. There's a reason he wants them to be successful. Their success means his success. Simple as that. The name of his company will only go up after it was found out that they started there.

After he had finished giving them his parting words, the two gave him a nod, and thanked him for giving them the opportunity. Victor left within a few minutes while Susan lingered in his office for a bit. They talked for a bit, but he knew why she had stayed. It was about their "relationship". It was over. He knew it was coming. It made no sense to keep it going, not when one of them was starting a whole new chapter in their life. That being said, they were still going to keep in touch.

He let out another sigh as he shook his head. No point in thinking about the past anymore. What's done is done. He looked to his left, and then to his right. Nothing but desert as far as they eye could see. He sighed yet again. He didn't see any modes of transportation. With that mystery solved, he began to walk east, in the direction given to him by the one who called in the favor. Supposedly, since he couldn't see a damn thing, even with his eyes, there was a town a few hours away from his current location. Someplace called Puente Antiguo.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

Finally having strolled into town, with the blazing hot sun shining down upon him, he got to work. His first order of business, find a place to stay. He didn't know how long he'd be here. Once he was done with that would he really begin his mission.

Helping Thor with whatever problem he had gotten himself into. It was his fellow Asgardian, Sif, who had called in the favor. An amused smile made it's way onto his face as he thought of her.

Despite her tough demeanor as a warrior, she was easy to read. It was quite easy to see that Sif had feelings for the prince of Asgard. She may be a goddess, but it seems even those who exist on a higher plane can fall in love. And if her calling him in to help Thor was her attempt at getting the heir to notice those feelings, then it was a damned good one in his opinion. Though there was one thing that confused him.

She didn't want Thor to know it was her who helped him, hence doing this mission incognito. Though now that he thought about it, he was dealing with gods and goddesses here, so perhaps she was playing with the long game in mind? Shaking his head, he came to the conclusion that he was reading far too much into this.

Perhaps he was also reading too far into why Sif wanted him to work this mission incognito. It didn't really make sense to him. Perhaps she was worried about him? If so, then who did he have to worry about? The powers that be? Doubtful. The higher powers that be? Possibly. He shook his head once more. He was starting to trend down a rabbit hole that he didn't need to be going down right now. He was here to complete a mission, not ask questions.

Anyways, Sif had contacted him early in the morning on the day of the fifth, informing him of the heir's banishment at the hands of his father, Odin Borson. How she had even acquired such info, let alone the actual location of where Thor was being banished to, was still a mystery to him, as she didn't deign to inform him. Then again, if most myths were true, and he had no reason to doubt this one, Heimdall had a hand in this. After all, Sif and Heimdall are siblings, and what brother would deny a request from his sister.

Whether or not this was the method she used in acquiring her information aside, he still owed Sif and Thor, not to mention a few others. They helped protect New York back in the sixties against John Dark, and he would repay them for that. This went beyond simply helping a friend. He owed them a debt, and he always repays his debts. It was in his nature as a man to do so.

Continuing his search for a motel, or a hotel, either was fine by him, he noticed two nurses heading his way, and he couldn't help but overhear their conversation.

"Did you hear what happened in ICU a few hours ago?"

"Just bits and pieces. Why? Is it true what they said happened?"

As he absentmindedly looked around, his eyes suddenly widened a bit as his head snapped over in their direction. Apparently, an attractive blonde, and blue eyed, man, their words, was admitted into the hospital a few hours ago, only to break out the same day, injuring those who tried to restrain him.

His luck seems to be on the upswing, which wasn't necessarily always a good thing. Karma and all that good stuff. Either way, he had just acquired a lead. Now all he needed was a direction. He approached.

"Excuse me."

The two females turned around, and looked up into the eyes of another attractive blonde and blue eyed man. He gave them his most charming smile.

"Can either of you two beautiful ladies point me in the direction of the hospital?"

* * *

The super-soldier was standing in front of the entrance to the hospital. He was finally able to locate the building after searching for the past thirty or so minutes, and the reason it took him so long is because the town was bigger than expected, but also because the two nurses wouldn't leave him alone. The just kept following him around despite them being on their lunch break. Thankfully, once he arrived, they had left him, returning to their positions within the hospital. He entered.

The destruction the two women had spoken about was evident to see. Though it was mostly equipment and whatnot; chairs, tables, etc. Nothing to serious. He approached the front desk.

"Excuse me."

Hearing someone's voice, the receptionist looked up from the files she was filling out, and into some of the bluest eyes she's ever seen. Her own eyes narrowed slightly as she really looked at the man in front of her.

Naruto was likewise doing the exact same thing, albeit far more subtly. He knew this woman, or at least he thought he did. She just seemed so familiar to him, and he wouldn't forget a woman who has two violet streaks in her hair. He glanced down at her name-tag.

Victoria.

He frowned a bit. _'No surname?'_ He found that odd. Most of the time a name-tag had the entire name on it, especially when it came to hospital staff.

"Yes. How may I help you?"

"Has a large blonde man been admitted sometime this week?"

The blonde was being transparent here, he knew this, but sometimes it was best to just keep it simple. Over complicating things usually only led to problems, and he wanted to avoid those. A small frown began to creep up on her face as she eyed him for a few seconds. She obviously had an inkling of who he might be referring to.

"What's his name, and your relation to the patient?" she inquired, keeping her professionalism.

Naruto was glad to see that she hadn't jumped to any conclusions, his blonde might not even be the blonde she was thinking of. It of course was, but she didn't need to know that. "His name is Thor." he said. Victoria paused, looked up from the list of names on her clipboard, and just looked at him. Naruto shrugged and gave her an awkward grin. "Parents were into Norse mythology. So much so that they named him after one of their deity's." he explained. "I'm his younger brother by the way."

That frown that was on her face was now a full blown scowl. Peering down at her clipboard, he could see why. Just underneath the list of names was a single sheet of paper, and on it was an image of Thor's face, his name printed just below it. It said to contact the police and hospital if he's seen. It seems she was here when it all went down. He half expected her to make a giant fuss about his friend, but much to his surprise, she remained calm, somewhat.

"Your _brother_ was admitted a few hours ago, but he broke out." she said. "He hasn't been seen since."

The super-soldier looked at her for a moment longer, waiting to see if she had anything else to add. She didn't. "Is anyone out there looking for him?"

She nodded. "I called local law enforcement. They've been looking for him since he escaped." she told him. "They'll inform me once they locate him, and then I'll inform you."

He gave her a nod. "Who was it that admitted him?" If this person was still in town, he was going to track him or her down, and ask them a few questions.

"It was a trio. Two women, mid-twenties, and an older man, sixties." she answered. Naruto was caught off-guard. She had just profiled three people for him, somewhat narrowing down his search. How very interesting.

Let's see if he couldn't get anymore out of her. "Which of the three was it?"

"It was one of the women who checked him in?"

"I see. What was he admitted for?"

"Blunt force trauma." she answered. "She hit him with her car, and I quote: He came out of nowhere!"

Naruto expertly managed to stop himself from grinning. The woman in front of him had just given him a small report. She had training, that's for sure. Now he knows for a fact he knows he's come across her at some point. He would find out who she was before he was finished helping his friend.

"She got a name?"

The receptionist looked at him for a moment, baffled, not sure if he was serious. He was. "I can't just give you that information. It goes against hospital regulations."

"Not even if it means potentially finding my brother, the only family I've got left?" The super-soldier decided to play some hardball.

Victoria looked at him with a blank expression. "Really? You're going there?"

The blonde shrugged. "Yeah. Did it work?"

A beat passed between them before she let out a sigh. "Her name is Jane Foster."

Recognition flashed in Naruto's blue orbs. He knew the name. She's an up-and-coming astrophysicist who's learning under another famous scientist, a Dr. Erik Selvig. If Jane was here, then Selvig wasn't far behind. This situation just got interesting, well, more interesting. Perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone while here.

"Thanks for the info." he said. "By the way, do you know a place where I can get a bite to eat around here? Seeing as I might be here awhile."

She nodded. "Head back outside, make a left, and just keep walking." she explained "You'll eventually arrive at a local diner. A place called Isabel's. Good food there."

"Thanks."

As the woman behind the desk watched him leave, her eyes lingered on him longer than they probably should have before finally returning back to work.

* * *

As he continued walking away from the hospital, and further down the street, towards the diner, he came to notice an odd trend among the denizens who inhabited this town. Many of the pickup trucks were missing their beds. He suddenly shook his head. Whatever it was they considered fun out here was none of his business.

Plus, this place reminded him of Perfection Valley, from that horror movie. He let out a small sigh. He made the big mistake of letting Laura watch the movie with him. Girl refused to step on anything that was just plain old dirt. She eventually came to understand it wasn't real, but damn if that conversation didn't take forever to explain.

Finally spotting the diner across the street from him, he crossed, walked in behind two men, and came to a stop. His luck really was at it's peak right now. He just found Thor. Who would've believed he'd find the man in a diner, scarfing down a plate full of eggs, bacon, sausage, hash-brown, and toast. Not to mention a full plate of pancakes drowned in syrup. Everyone in the diner, which was about seven or so people, was looking at him. He'd yet to move from the door.

The Asgardian prince looked up from his tasty food for a brief second before returning to his meal, but then snapped his head upwards. He couldn't quite believe his eyes.

"Doth my eyes deceive me?" he asked. "Naruto, my friend, is that you?"

Naruto gave his friend a grin. "Been a long time, hasn't it?"

The blonde Asgardian abruptly stood up from his seat, startling those at his table, and strode over to his friend. The prince greeted his friend the only way he knew how, by pulling him into a bear hug, and lifting him up off the ground.

The super-soldier was frowning. The time between their last meeting must have been much longer than he initially believed, because he doesn't remember Thor's bear hugs being this...weak. He shrugged it off.

"Good to see you to buddy."

As he was being put down, the smaller blonde noticed that everyone, minus those at Thor's table, had returned to their previous conversations. To them, it was just two friends reuniting. Before either of the two blondes could speak, their attention, well, mostly Thor's, was taken away.

"You're missing all the excitement out at the crater." said one of the men who walked in before Naruto.

The second man, the larger of the two, who also walked in before the shinobi nodded in agreement with his friend. "They're saying it's some kinda satellite that landed out in the desert." he explained.

The first man chuckled a bit. "Yeah" he said, a fond reminiscence in his voice. "We were having a real good time with it, until the feds showed up."

"Excuse me."

The two men, along with the two blondes, turned to look who had spoken. It was Jane.

"Did you say there was a satellite crash?"

The first man nodded. "Sure was ma'am."

"What did it look like, the satellite?" questioned the older man behind Jane, whom the super-soldier knew as Selvig.

"Well, now I don't know anything bout satellites, but it was heavy." answered the second man. "I mean nobody could lift it."

No sooner had those words been spoken did Thor's eyes light up. The Asgardian knew exactly what it was they spoke of. Leaving his friend's side for the moment, he approached the two natives sitting at the counter.

"Which way?" he asked.

"Oh, uh, about two-hundred and fifty miles west of here."

With his query now answered, the prince of Asgard began to head towards the exit, turned to look at his friend, gave him an excited grin, and walked out. Naruto, along with the trio who were sitting at his table, followed him out of the establishment. The soldier rushed into the street, pulling his friend out of harms way from oncoming traffic, and pissed off drivers.

Before he could say anything to him, he was suddenly pushed out of the way by Foster, which honestly surprised him. Though in hindsight he probably shouldn't be. She didn't know him, so of course she's going to go to the one she does know.

"Where are you going?!" she inquired hotly.

"Two-hundred and fifty miles west from here." he answered with a straight face.

"What? Buy why?"

"To retrieve what belongs to me."

"Oh, so you own a satellite now?"

"Tis not what they say it is."

"Well whatever it is, the government seems to think it's theirs." she said. "You just intend to go in there and take it?"

"Yes." replied the heir of Asgard. He noted the bewilderment on her face. "If you take me there now, I will tell you everything you wish to know."

That grabbed her attention immediately. "Everything?"

"Yes." he replied. "All the answers will be yours once I reclaim Mjølnir."

Before anything else could be said, or agreed upon by the two, Selvig, the voice of reason, interrupted. "Can I have a word with you, Jane?" He pulled his student off to the side.

This timely interruption is exactly what Naruto needed. Far be it from him to stop Thor from giving up knowledge on his home or people, the only thing that worried him was the prince giving up something on him. The Asgardian wasn't exactly subtle when it came to certain subjects. Before he could speak to Thor about this, he was caught off-guard when the prince suddenly dipped his head a bit.

"Apologies for earlier my friend." said Thor. "I did not intend to leave so suddenly, especially after we met for the first time in many years. My mind is currently preoccupied with retrieving what is rightfully mine."

The smaller blonde opened his mouth to say something, but closed it. What could he say? He certainly couldn't bring up the topic of not bringing him up in his conversation with Jane now. He let out a sigh.

"It's fine." he said. "I know how important Mjølnir is to you." You can't have one without the other. It would ruin the whole myth.

Thor nodded gratefully. "Thank you for understanding, but I must ask, why are you here?" He kinda forgot to ask that when news of his mighty hammer came up.

"To help you." answered the shinobi. "A favor was called in on your behalf."

"By whom if I may ask?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not at liberty to say. They wish to remain nameless." he explained. "What I can tell you, however, is that this person is a mutual friend of ours."

The prince could only nod. He turned to look at Jane, who was approaching him. "I'm sorry, but I can't take you." she said, and then looked at Naruto. Thor took over.

"Apologies for not introducing him whilst we ate in the house of cakes,"

"I think you mean pancakes." corrected Foster.

The larger man nodded. "Yes, those. This is one of my oldest friends, Naruto." he introduced. The heir then addressed his fellow blonde, and then looked back at the trio. "These are my newest friends. Jane Foster, Erik Selvig, and Darcy."

The shinobi already knew two of the three by name, and gave them a small nod. All three of them were looking at him with curious eyes. He raised a brow.

"Are you like him?" questioned the one known as Darcy, the brunette.

"I don't know what that means." answered the super-soldier, playing dumb.

"He said he was...what was it called again?"

Jane sighed. "Asgardian."

"Right, that. He said he was Asgardian."

Jane shook her head, and began to speak with Thor again.

Naruto shook his head. "No. I'm not like him." He wholeheartedly thought she meant if he was similar in terms of abilities. Guess he was wrong on that one. Darcy kept talking to him, trying to flirt, and he was only really half listening. He was paying more attention to the conversation that Thor and Jane were having.

"Thank you for everything you've done. Farewell."

 _'It seems we're leaving.'_ thought Naruto. His brows rose a tad higher when he saw Thor plant a small kiss atop Jane's hand. The two shared a smile. _'Well, well, well. Looks like Sif's got a rival.'_

Once the chivalrous prince was done, the Asgardian began to walk away. Despite just having met the trio, Naruto still bid them a farewell, and followed after his friend.

* * *

The smaller of the two blondes let out a sigh for the umpteenth time today. He'd been following the heir around for more than ten minutes now, and his friend had yet to locate whatever it was he was trying to search for in town. It was time he received some answers. He may be here to help Thor's with his whole banishment problem, but he first needed to know why he was banished.

"So, wanna explain what happened, Thor?"

The mighty Thor stopped walking, looked at his friend, and sighed. He spotted a nearby bench, and he took a seat. Naruto sat down next to him, ready to listen.

"I've been banished from Asgard by my father."

The shinobi nodded, he knew that much. "Why?"

"Because of my arrogance and stupidity."

Naruto was now frowning. "Surely it wasn't just because of that, right?" he asked. "I mean, most sons are like that. Hell, most children are like that."

Thor let out a snort, and looked at his comrade. "I have a hard time believing thou were ever arrogant, or stupid for that matter."

The younger Rogers brother shrugged. "Perhaps I've never been arrogant, but I've had my fair share of stupid moments." he admitted freely.

The Asgardian looked at him blankly. "My stupid, and your stupid, are on completely different scales."

The Uzumaki didn't like the sound of that. "...How far apart would you say?"

Thor grimaced. "My stupidity may have possibly re-ignited the war between Asgard and Jötunheimr."

The former director of SHIELD shared his grimace. "Okay, yeah, that's some distance."

That was one helluva bomb to drop on him. He patted Thor on the back, offering the man what support he could.

"I'm sure it'll all work out in the end." Thor silently thanked him for the moral support. "So, what do you plan to do next?" Surely it was to show his father that he had matured.

"I'm going to retrieve Mjølnir, and you're going to assist me."

Naruto looked at him for a solid thirty seconds before speaking. "What exactly makes you think that by breaking into a government facility makes you seem less arrogant, or look less stupid? Surely you're still strong without your hammer?"

Thor nodded. "Aye, I am still powerful without it, though not in this case. My power was sealed away as well, but the return of my power is not why I want my hammer."

"Then why?" Naruto asked, almost pleaded. "Why are you willing to risk so much for something that you don't even need?"

A smile appeared on the prince's face. "My father bestowed Mjølnir upon me when he recognized me as a worthy heir of Asgard. As someone he could place his trust and faith in." he explained. "To not be worthy of him truly hurts me like no other weapon ever has."

Naruto's teeth clicked. He leaned back in his seat, momentarily drifting back in time to a much simpler era, when his own father was still alive, and when he had lied to him as a child. The look of disappointment on his father's face that day hurt him like nothing else. He let out a sigh. Granted, the levity of their situations was different, but the feelings were the same. He snapped out of it, and looked at his friend.

"I know where you're coming from." he said. "I'll help you retrieve Mjølnir."

Thor sent him a grateful nod. "Thank you my friend. Words cannot truly begin to explain how grateful I am." he said. "Our first order of business is acquiring transportation."

The smaller blonde nodded, and then followed the bigger blonde into the place he had been searching for. A pet store.

"Two horses!"

The clerk behind the counter looked at him strangely. "We don't have horses. Just dogs, cats, birds..."

"Then give me two of those large enough to ride."

As amusing as he found the situation, Naruto decided to step in, and explain the differences between the animals on earth, and those he's used to. Before he could, the duo heard honking from behind. They both turned around, and they spotted Jane in her tank of a vehicle.

"Hey! You still need a lift?"

* * *

Naruto was calmly sitting in the backseat, behind the driver, quietly listening in on Thor's and Jane's conversation, or flirting, and only spoke when necessary.

"I've never done anything like this before." Jane said to Thor. "Have you ever done something like this before?"

The Asgardian smirked, and chuckled. "Yes, many times." he admitted. "But you are brave to do it."

Jane shrugged. "Some organization called SHIELD just stole my life's work. I don't have much else left to lose really."

The blonde silently sighed. Yeah, that sounded like something Fury would do. And he had to disagree with that statement of hers. There was still plenty left for her to lose, she just didn't know it. Of course he didn't say this out loud, no point in bringing her mood down any further. Anyways, once everything was resolved over here, he would see about getting her research back to her.

"Yes, but you are clever." praised the prince. "Far more clever than most in this realm."

Foster took her eyes off the road for a brief second, and looked at the larger blonde oddly, an awkward smile on her face. "Realm?"

"You think me strange?"

The astrophysicist laughed a bit. "Yeah, I do."

"Good strange, or bad strange?"

She shook her head, her smile still in place. "I'm not quite sure yet."

In those few seconds she had taken her eyes off the road to stare at Thor, her tank of a vehicle veered to the left, hitting a large pile of dirt, and nearly causing them to crash. Jane was quickly jostled back into reality, and got her car under control. Naruto decided now was a good time to chime in.

"Do you think the two of you can, oh I don't know, keep the flirting to a minimum?" he asked. "I'd like to be able to go home after this, if you don't mind."

Thor merely laughed at that while Jane blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry." she muttered. She grew quiet before looking back at the blonde sitting across her. "Who are you, really?"

The Asgardian prince smirked at her mysteriously. "You'll see soon enough."

"You promised me answers."

"...What you seek is a bridge."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of a bridge. "Like an Einstein-Rosen Bridge?"

"More like a Rainbow Bridge."

Foster barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes, just barely. "God, I hope you're not crazy." she said to herself as they kept driving towards their destination.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

Night had fallen over the desert as the trio reached the destination of the satellite crash, or so it was to be believed.

"That's no satellite crash!" Jane whispered harshly. "They would have hauled the wreckage away, they wouldn't build a damn city around it."

Thor looked up at the darkened sky as a loud boom was heard overhead. He smirked. "You're going to need this." He gave Jane, who was prone on the ground, looking through binoculars, his jacket.

"What? Wait, why?"

More thunder rumbled in the sky, and that smirk grew into a grin. "Now stay here." he told her. "Once I have Mjølnir in my hand, I will return the items they've stolen from you. Deal?"

She looked at him like he was crazy. "No, not deal. You think you're just going to walk in, grab all our stuff, and walk out?"

"No. I'm going to fly out."

Jane watched him leave, mouth open in disbelief. Naruto would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious. The look on her face.

"Sorry, but he doesn't understand sarcasm very well."

"I've noticed."

"Just stay here. I'll be back in a few." he said, lifting up the cloth he had around his neck, covering up the lower half of his face, and pulling up his hood. His other mask, the more recognizable one, was currently sealed away on his person. Can't have SHIELD knowing it was him after all.

Foster sent him a confused look. "Wait, you're not going in with him?"

"I am, but only so far." he explained. "I'm just here to provide backup, and cause a distraction." he added. "Once he's in, he's on his own." Plus, he can't help Thor with lifting Mjølnir. "Besides, I can't leave you alone out here. Not because you can't handle yourself," he added quickly. "But because I don't want SHIELD catching you."

"But I thought they were the good guys?"

Naruto nodded. "They are, but the man leading them is...paranoid, and he's the type to lock you up and throw away the key." He wasn't trying to scare her, but it was true. Fury was like that, but only to those he deemed a threat.

Jane grimaced. "I'll wait for you here."

He nodded, and left her soon after. He slid down the hill they were on, and found Thor waiting for him.

"Are you prepared?" he asked the smaller blonde.

Naruto gave him a nod, and slowly began to cut a small hole in the perimeter fence. Something came to mind as he looked at Thor from the corner of his eye. _'Just how exactly would Thor have gotten past this barbed wire fence with nothing but the clothes on his back?'_ He shook his head. No point dwelling on this right now. He was through, and held it open so Thor could go in.

The two headed in, and Naruto watched as the prince knocked out two SHIELD agents effortlessly. It seems that while the man lost his powers, he had not lost his skill. Though he did wish the man would have waited for him. They were supposed to be doing this subtly. He had no doubt it would turn into a fistfight in no time, but that should only be after Thor was already inside. The two unconscious men were dragged off to the side, and Naruto removed one of their ponchos. The rain was starting to fall on them. He caught up to the prince after he suddenly moved ahead of him.

"Calm down, and stick to the plan." he reminded. They had discussed this during the ride over. Naruto pulled out a small orb, and showed it to the prince.

"How is this little device going to help us accomplish our goal?" His reaching hand was slapped away from touching it.

"This little device is an E.M.P." It was a particularly powerful one developed by the R&D department at his company, well, okay, that was a lie. It was a piece of tech he hadn't used during one of his many missions as a man on the wall.

Thor was confused. "EMP? What's an EMP?"

Naruto sighed. "It stands for...you know what, don't worry about what it stands for. Once this sucker goes off we're going to have a complete blackout of all electronic equipment." he explained. It was also set to destroy itself once it's use was over. "This is what's going to allow us to move around unencumbered. However, once it does go off, you're on your own. I'll give you as much time as I can out here. You ready?"

The hammer-less God of Thunder nodded. He would have rather had a straight up fight, and none of this shadow combat, but he would follow the lead of his comrade on this one. He watched as the tiny device was thrown towards the building, and watched as it rolled to a stop. Not five seconds later did it go off, and they were off.

The shinobi watched the Asgardian run through the darkness, and enter the south entrance. He was in. However, so were a few agents who had spotted something moving that wasn't following procedure. He took a breath, and soon stepped out himself. He was like a ghost in the darkness, dropping agent after agent.

The blonde shinobi was suddenly forced to cover his eyes a bit as the scattered lights surrounding the facility came to life, illuminating near everything. Normally, his little device had enough of a kick to keep everything off for longer than fifteen seconds, and even fry it at times, but that was against people who weren't Nick Fury. The tech being used by SHIELD was upgraded it seems.

With his presence now being known, the effect was instantaneous. Agent after agent came at him. It didn't matter how big or skilled they were, he dropped them all the same. As he continued to do this to anyone dumb enough to approach him after seeing the bodies lying at his feet, his eyes had yet to leave Thor's silhouette. The prince was in combat as well. His ears twitched all of a sudden. He could hear the sound of a pulley being used, and watched as someone hopped into the crows nest. It was Barton.

Judging by the way he was moving his bow back and forth between him and Thor, SHIELD was aware of there being two intruders. Word had traveled quick amidst the chaos, and he was glad to see that it did. He hasn't been in charge of SHIELD in a long time, so he wasn't sure how well these agents would respond when power went out momentarily, and their communications cut off. He was glad to see that these men and women remained calm and composed. They had passed with flying colors.

Naruto suddenly ducked his head when he heard a whizzing sound cutting through the rain. He looked up at Barton. He didn't need his enhanced eyes, or ears, to know that the archer was cursing up one helluva storm for missing that shot. He then watched as the boy turned away from his location, and to that of Thor's.

' _It seems SHIELD is prioritizing Thor and the Mjølnir above all else.'_

Looking back at the facility, he could see why. The heir to the throne of Asgard was in the heart of the facility, and that meant his job here was done. The rest was up to Thor. With that being said, he left the scene by blending into the shadows, leaving countless unconscious agents behind him.

* * *

Jane couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene unfolding below her. She had lost sight of the larger of the two blonde's once the lights went out, but she had been able to see the other one thanks to the light of the moon. She's never seen anyone move so fast before, or take down another human so effortlessly. It was absolutely riveting. Her eyes widened further when she suddenly lost sight of him.

' _Where'd he go?'_

"It's time to leave."

She nearly leapt out of her skin when she heard a voice from behind her. "Whoa!"

"What? What's wrong?"

"How did you get from there to here?!"

"Trade secret." He ignored the small glare she was sending him. "C'mon, it's time to leave."

"Wait, what about your friend?"

Naruto looked back at the facility, and shook his head. "If nothing's happened yet, then that means he was caught." Or he wasn't able to lift the hammer. He certainly hoped it wasn't the latter.

"If that's true, then what are we going to do?" she asked. "Are we going to get him out?"

The blonde shook his head once more. "No. They're aware now, so trying again would be foolish." he said. Plus, he didn't want to hurt anymore agents. He looked into her eyes, and sighed. She was clearly worried. "Don't worry about him. He's gonna be fine."

"How could you possibly know something like that?"

"Trust me on this." he said. "I've had dealings with this organization before."

Seeing as she couldn't really do anything herself, she reluctantly nodded, got in her car, and stepped on the gas.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

After the duo had returned to home base, an empty-ish building in the middle of town, Naruto remained quiet as he watched Jane rant and rave about how they shouldn't have left Thor. She was of course saying this after the fact, but he couldn't blame her for acting that way. She was out of her element out there. Either way, her ranting had finally gotten to Erik.

"What they just did was commit a crime!" yelled Selvig. "Now one of them is in jail because of it. Soon the other will be to!" He then looked at Naruto. "Sorry, but I'm just stating the truth."

The super-soldier shrugged, and then tuned them out. As...entertaining as it was to listen to their petty squabbling, he still had other matters to attend to. It was currently very late, and he still didn't have a place to stay. He stood up from his seat, walked away from the arguing duo, and started making his way towards the exit. This immediately caught everyone's attention as the arguing had stopped, and they all looked at him. Though it was Jane who spoke.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go and look for a place to sleep tonight," he answered. "And any other nights I might be here for."

Once she heard that, Darcy shot up out of her seat, startling Jane and Erik. "I can help you look for a place."

"Thanks, but no thanks." he said. "I can manage on my own. Besides, you're clearly needed here."

"But I insist." she said, giving him a dazzling smile.

The lone shinobi looked down at her with a raised brow. She was being rather transparent in what her endgame here was. Now, normally, he wouldn't have minded her company, or the warmth she would've provided him in bed, but unfortunately, he was here for business, not pleasure.

His eyes flashed crimson for a brief moment. "I really think you should stay." he pressed.

"Hm-mm, yeah, I guess you're right."

He nodded, and continued his walk from earlier, heading for the door.

"Wait, what about your friend!?"

The blonde turned around. "Like I said earlier, everything will be fine." he said. "You just have to be patient, and wait." he told her. "Trust me on this." He left after saying his part.

Jane shook her head, and resumed her conversation with Erik.

"I just can't leave him there."

"Why not?"

"Because you didn't see what I saw!"

Erik let out a sigh. He was getting nowhere. "I taught you to believe in the facts of science, not magic."

"Well, magic's just science that we don't understand yet." she said. "Arthur C. Clarke."

Selvig shook his head, not believing what he was hearing. "Arthur C. Clark wrote science fiction."

"Yes, but it was a precursor to science fact!" she countered. "If there is an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, then there's something on the otherside, and beings of power could have crossed it."

"Jane..."

Things settled down between the two, and she let out a sigh, looking her teacher dead in the eye.

"You're the one who's always pushing me to chase down every possibility, every alternative. So tell me why you can't follow your own advice on this one?"

Erik sighed yet again, looked into his student's eyes, and let out a curse.

* * *

 _ **~The Following Morning~**_

Naruto let out a sigh. He noticed he's been doing that a lot lately, and he's never felt more like an old man than when he does it. He had a good reason to do it though. He was currently sitting down at the table, in Jane's place, and he was being served breakfast by Thor, who had a content look on his face. It was certainly new, because it wasn't there yesterday, and judging by the one on Jane's face, she had something to do with it.

"I explicitly told you guys to wait, to be patient, but you just couldn't listen, could you?" He shook his head. "You guys could have gotten into some serious trouble with whatever stunt you pulled late last night." Well, until he bailed them out.

He would also wager that it was Selvig who sprung the Asgardian from SHIELD captivity, as neither of the other two had as much clout as he did. Well, within the scientific community at least. Which begged the question, just what exactly did the man do to convince the agents to release Thor? There was no point in asking the man though as he was nursing a hangover, something about not going drinking with Thor ever again, so he would just have to ask the agents when he returned to active duty.

The duo ignored his words, so he just decided to focus on his plate of toast and eggs. Eventually the talk of science arose, and Jane began to explain a theory to Selvig, a theory she acquired late last night after her private talk with Thor. Their breakfast was soon interrupted when all those in the empty-ish building heard a knock on the glass door. Naruto looked up from his plate, and he nearly choked on his eggs.

If most stories regarding Thor and his friends are to be believed, then Sif and the Warriors Three was to be an expected arrival at some point. The person standing next to them, however, was not. It was a person he was very familiar with though. It was Brünhilde. The group of five entered, and while the others went straight towards Thor, she did not.

Getting up out of his seat, he met her halfway, and as he passed, he caught some details of what Sif was telling Thor. Something about Loki becoming king, which would actually explain a lot. The first thing the two of them did was share in an embrace.

"Good to see you again, Brünhilde. It's been what, forty years seen we've seen last seen one another?"

She nodded. "Aye, that it has."

"So, aside from stating the obvious, what are you doing here?" he asked, because last he checked, no warriors were dying for her to guide to Valhalla.

"Ah, yes...I'm here to follow you around until you die so that I may guide you to Valhalla." she said with a straight face.

Naruto just looked at her. She of course knew of him being claimed by the Shintō Kami, so of course he wouldn't believe that. She bit her lip.

"Would you believe I'm here just to see you?"

His eyebrows rose a bit, but before he could question her on what context she was implying, everyone in the building, and all over town, heard a loud boom in the sky. The large group stepped out into the street, and looked off into the distance where a large tornado was taking shape, though unlike many of the others, this one hit the ground with tremendous force.

"Was somebody else coming?" asked Darcy.

Naruto heard the question, and had to assume this is how the Asgardians arrived on earth. Using his enhanced vision, he spotted a large metal figure off in the distance. Looking at the Asgardians from the corner of his eye, it was easy to see that they knew what it was.

"I know I may not be up to snuff on my Norse mythology, but anyone mind telling me what that is?" he asked. Even without his superior vision, Thor knew what it was.

"That, my friend, is The Destroyer." he said. It was no doubt here for him. He then looked at his new friends. "The three of you must leave."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm staying here."

"Thor's going to fight with us!"

If Naruto remembered correctly, the one who just spoke was known as Volstagg. Unfortunately for the rounder Asgardian, his excitement was dashed just as quickly as it arrived.

"My friends, I'm just a man." he said. "I'll only get in the way, or worse, get one of you killed. But I can help get these people to safety."

"Well, if you're staying, then so am I." stated Jane.

Thor looked at her, and wanted to tell her no, but there was no time for argument. He gave her a small nod. "We'll need some time."

"You'll have it." said one of the other Warriors Three, while another nodded in agreement.

The prince of Asgard nodded. "Thank you, Fandral, Hogun."

With it's business done out in the desert, the Destroyer quickly approached the town, and began to fire at everything. Naruto, Brünhilde, Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun all approached from the front of it.

"So, anyone have a plan?"

Sif smirked when hearing the question. "Keep it busy." Apparently, she did.

The Warriors Three nodded, and took the lead while the two blonde's remained behind, apparently in the same state of mind. They were acting as backup in case something didn't go according to plan. The three Asgardians plan to keep it busy was to throw Volstagg towards the Destroyer. It didn't end well for Volstagg. He basically hit a brick wall, and fell onto the hood of a car, groaning. Before he was blasted to oblivion, Sif attacked at the armor's unprotected back, stabbing her sword-staff all the way through. The Destroyer powered down.

That same smirk was still on her face as she looked at her comrades, but unfortunately, it would not last long. The Destroyer returned, and merely twisted it's frame to meet Sif head on. So now instead of being on it's back, she was on it's stomach. A beam of energy was soon fired upon her. She managed to dodge.

"Fall back!" she yelled. "Retreat!"

She was blasted away as she was following her own advice. The Warriors Three were faring no better, as they to were blasted into a building. That only left Naruto and Brünhilde. She turned to him with a grin on her face.

"Just like old times huh."

Naruto returned the grin. "You got that right."

Unsheathing his single kōdachi, he took a step forward. He started off slow, settling into a nice walking pace, but it eventually picked as it slowly morphed into a jog, a run, and then a flat out sprint. The trio of Asgardians who did not know him personally, and managed to pick themselves up, were looking on with wide eyes, probably thinking him suicidal. He couldn't blame them. To them, he was probably just a normal looking mortal, albeit with connections to some of Asgard's most influential.

By the end of this, they would know who he was. With his sharingan hidden by his hood, he was easily dodging the beam of energy being shot at him by the armor, weaving from left to right. Just as he was feet away from the Destroyer, he vanished, and suddenly reappeared behind it, blade outstretched.

Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun's mouths were now as wide as their eyes, not quite believing what they had just bore witness to. Yes, they were caught off-guard by the blonde's ability, but it was what he had actually done that needed to be addressed.

"His blade, it cut through the metal of the Destroyer..." softly commented Fandral, wide eyed. His two companions were not faring any better than he, and could only nod.

' _Note to self: Asgardian metal weak against weapons enchanted with Celestial tech.'_ thought Naruto.

The large armor fell to one knee, but even with it missing an appendage, it was still in prime condition to fight back. It began to shift around, and before long, it was facing the blonde. Before it could fire off a blast, however, a shield came flying in from behind, hitting it in the back of the head. Brünhilde was rushing in, sword drawn. It ignored him, and was focusing on the approaching woman.

' _It must deem her a bigger threat.'_

Whatever it's reason, it's back was turned to him, and he was going to make it regret that decision. He stabbed it through it's chest, hoping he had hit it's core, or whatever it had, hoping to shut it down. No such luck. Though it did serve to distract it long enough for Valkyrie to arrive and cleave her sword through it's exposed head, mostly. It only went in a few inches. Their attacks seemed to do little more than annoy it as it shook him off, and fired it's beam at her.

She dodged in time, and was forced to retreat to a safe distance. Before it could fire at her again, or before he could intervene, a loud gunshot rang throughout the battlefield. Everyone followed the loud sound, and found a woman holding a smoking gun. Naruto recognized her at once. It was Victoria.

The Destroyer turned it's attention unto her, and before it could blast her into oblivion, he suddenly appeared before her, grabbed her, and dove. The blast missed the two of them, but it had struck close enough to send them some yards away from the fight, and into a building.

Naruto let out a groan. He may be powerful, but damn if his body still didn't hurt after taking hits like that! Quickly checking himself over, he nodded to himself. Everything was still intact. Ignoring the massive headache, no doubt a concussion, he looked for Victoria. He spotted her a few feet away.

"Hey..." No response. "Hey!"

"Ugh..."

He heard the groan escape her mouth. That was a good enough sign in his book.

"Are you okay?"

Victoria slowly started to get up before she laid back down.

"Hey?!"

"...I'm fine." she finally answered. "The hurt all over my body just makes it hard to talk, ya know."

Naruto nodded. If she had time to give him a smartass answer, then she was fine. "Oh good. What did you think you were doing out there!? Do you realize just how stupid that was!?" He tore into her. His head suddenly turned towards where everyone was. No noise was coming from their direction. "Stay here until I return." he ordered.

Victoria heard the order, but decided to ignore it. As soon as she was able to pick herself up off the tile floor of whatever building they had landed in, she followed after him. She soon stopped, however, when she nearly ran into him as he had stopped halfway before entering the street. She understood why when she looked over his shoulder.

Lying on the pavement was the man who had escaped the hospital, Thor, and the woman who had been the one to admit him. She was holding him in her arms, talking to him. He wasn't responding. The large armor, which was previously destroying everything in sight, was now leaving. Whatever it came here to do, it was apparently done.

Naruto's eyes never left the form of his friend. _'This is all my fault.'_ He could have prevented this from ever happening. Had he not been worried about blowing his cover, then his friend wouldn't be lying on the ground dead. His eyes traveled from Thor to the back of the Destroyer.

He didn't know how it had regrown it's leg, probably something to do with it's metal, nor did he care. It was going to lose a lot more when he was finished with it. Just as he was about to launch himself at it's exposed back, a sonic boom was heard in the sky. Looking up into the vast sky, his eyes easily spotted something coming towards their location. It was coming fast, and it was coming hard.

Everyone who was in the vicinity moved out of the way, except Jane, who was forcefully dragged away by Selvig, lest she get killed by the impact. The next few seconds happened so fast that no one was even sure if what they were seeing was even real. Just as the approaching force in the sky was upon them, all of them bore witness as the lifeless body of their friend suddenly shook, and up came his arm, catching that which was coming towards them. It was his hammer, Mjølnir.

An impossibly large bolt of lighting struck the earth mere seconds later, encompassing the prince in it's energy. The Destroyer, which was leaving, stopped in it's tracks and turned around, only to be hit in the face by the hammer. The mighty weapon came back around, taking out it's legs, and right into the hand of it's partner.

Thor Odinson was back.

He and the others watched as Thor completely handled the Destroyer on his own, whipping up a very large, but controlled, tornado in the middle of town, slowly lifting up the armor into the sky. Everyone watching from afar saw the blasts of energy escape from inside the tornado, and could only hope that their friend was okay. It all came to a head when the biggest blast of energy escaped the tornado, and it eventually started to dissipate. Everyone was given a good look at the result.

The Destroyer was defeated. Thor had prevailed. It was over.

Naruto watched his friend slowly began to come down to earth. He looked over his shoulder. "Stay put this time." he said. Victoria nodded. The tone of his voice was different from last time. She didn't need any power to tell her that.

Leaving her behind, the smaller blonde approached the bigger blonde. "We must make haste towards the Bifröst site." commanded Thor. "I would have words with my brother." The others nodded and left his side to meet him there. The prince noticed his friend approach. He extended him his hand. "Naruto, my friend. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done for me. I will repay you one day."

Before he could tell the prince that they were square, he was off again, this time to speak with Jane. He shook his head, amused. His friend obviously had more important things to worry about right now than to listen to him tell him that they were even. He stepped back as the larger blonde flew away with Jane in his embrace.

While he would have continued helping had they asked, as he was curious to see Asgard, a part of him was glad they hadn't. He wanted to go home and unwind. Nearly losing a friend built up a lot of stress. He turned around, and came face to face with Victoria.

"I know you."

He withheld a sigh from escaping. It seems he was going to deal with this now rather than later. "Do you now?"

She nodded. "I've been racking my brain since the moment we spoke in the hospital." she explained to him. "You're Naruto Uzumaki. The former Director of SHIELD."

It didn't come as a surprise to him that she knew him. He knew her as well. Still, he was curious as to just how exactly she recognized him. "What makes you believe that?"

"I recognized your blade."

His brows rose a fraction. Well, he certainly wasn't expecting her to say that.

"It matches the description of a blade used back in the late fifties."

Naruto let out a low hum. "Color me impressed. I wasn't aware you had such a skill, Ms. Hand." Her own eyes widened bit when she heard her name. "What, didn't think I knew who you were? How could I not? I am after all dealing with the woman who decided to argue with Fury." he revealed. "So this is where you've been."

Victoria was scowling now. "Yes. Director Fury didn't appreciate me questioning him on his decisions on how to fight terrorism." she explained. "He sent me here, to the land of corn, because I had an opinion that a glorified accountant shouldn't have."

He was about to correct her and tell her that New Mexico wasn't the land of corn, but refrained from doing so. It would only serve to annoy her even more.

"So, what else can you do? Besides crunch numbers and fire that desert eagle of yours."

She didn't know why he was bothering to ask, since he probably knew, but she would answer him. She actually respected this man. "Aside from being an agent, and accountant, I'm also a public speaker, I have knowledge, and know-how, of computers, business, and I have a photographic memory."

Naruto nods, impressed. He didn't know she had a photographic memory. He's actually surprised that Fury hasn't called her back yet. Was Fury actually holding a grudge here? Whatever the case, she's to valuable to continue to be left out here.

"You're hired."

Victoria looked at him oddly. "For what?" She didn't remember agreeing to anything, especially not with the former director.

"As my personal assistant for my two companies."

"I didn't agree to be anything."

He looked her in the eyes, and nodded. "You're right, you didn't, but let me ask you something. Do you want to continue living a monotonous life out in the middle of nowhere, or do you want to return to society? I'm offering you that chance." She bit her lip. "If you're worried about Fury, then don't be." he reassured. "I'll have a talk with him. So, are you in, or are you out?"

She looked him square in the eyes, looking to see if he would truly go up to bat for her, and she liked what she saw. She smiled, and gave him a nod. He nodded in return, glad to have her aboard. Victoria signaled for him to turn around with her eyes, and he went from one pair of blue eyes to another. It was Brünhilde. He was surprised to see that she was still here. He surely thought she would have went back with the others.

"May we speak in private, Naruto?"

Snapping out of his surprise, he nodded, and then handed Victoria a small piece of paper. She opened it up, read it, and looked at him. He gave her a nod. She shrugged, and began to head in the direction she last saw Selvig.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Valkyrie remained silent, not entirely sure how to proceed. She knew what she wanted to say, but it was just so hard expressing it in words.

"Okay, different question." The blonde decided to change topics, give her a bit of time. "Seeing as you haven't left with the others to the bridge, I'm to assume you're not leaving, right?" She nodded. "Then I ask again. Why are you here?" he asked. "Not that I'm not happy you aren't here. You really helped out."

Brünhilde smiled at him softly. Despite his question coming out much differently than intended, he still found a way to salvage the situation. She let out a sigh, and looked him in the eyes.

"Truthfully, I don't know why I'm here." she admitted. "I of course wished to help Thor, but his plight wasn't so severe that I stop my duties as a Valkyrie." she said. "I only came because I was informed that you were involved."

Naruto's teeth clicked shut. What was he supposed to say in return to that? What could he say? He let out a sigh.

"Oh, um, thanks." he responded awkwardly. She nodded. "So when do you plan on going back?" He hated himself for asking, especially after what he just told her, but he had to know.

Brünhilde shook her head. This time, he could not control his surprise.

"You don't have any plans to return, do you?" She shook her head once more. "Is that okay? Won't you get in trouble?"

"I can remain for as long as I please, so long as it doesn't interfere with my duty."

"And if a situation arises that does? What then?" he asked. "Would you be willing to forsake your duty to help another?"

Valkyrie's mouth closed shut. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." she responded.

He could only really nod. There wasn't much else he could say, or do for that matter. "Do you have a place to stay?" She of course shook her head. "You can stay with my daughter and I, if that's fine with you?" he asked. "Or I can always set you up with a place of your own-"

"No, your home will suffice." she said, interrupting him. "Besides, I want to meet your daughter." she muttered.

* * *

 _ **~The Following Day~**_

"What's wrong with my choice of attire?" questioned Valkyrie, looking at her fellow blonde, who was behind the wheel of his vehicle.

"In general, nothing, but if you want to fit in," Brünhilde snorted, as if she cared about that. "At least with my daughter," That got her quiet. "Then you can at least make an attempt."

Valkyrie sighed. "Very well. I will try."

Naruto nodded thankfully at her. "Thank you. I appreciate your effort."

She nodded in return. "So, how much longer till we reach the city of thy residence?"

"We're nearly there."

While he had homes all throughout the state, country, and world, home is where the heart is, and while he would have liked to stay in, or near, Brooklyn, he couldn't. Not at the time anyway. He had a little girl to raise, and he didn't want to raise her where he grew up. It wasn't the best place for her. It was a lot better now, but by the time it was, he had already purchased a home, a main home.

"We just entered Westchester County." he said. "We'll hit New Rochelle in a bit."

"New Rochelle? Is it similar to La Rochelle, France?"

He looked at her, brow raised. She gave him a shrug.

"There are those of us in Asgard who are interested in other things besides battle, mead, and debauchery."

"Huh, never would've believed it if you hadn't told me."

"Well, an opinion can get colored quite well when the only people you've interacted with are those who love to fight, drink, and indulge in pleasures of the flesh."

The super-soldier had to concede that point to her. Thor, Sif, Volstagg, Fandral, and Hogun certainly did paint a picture for him. As did the woman sitting beside him, but it seems there was more to her than he first thought.

"Anyways, to answer your question, yes, it's French." he answered. "I don't know much of the history behind the place, but what I do know is that it was settled by some French who were being religiously prosecuted."

"I see." she said. "Why move there?"

"Because it's the ideal place to raise a family." he answered. "Great school system, lots of parks, and a low crime rate. Just to name a few." he said. "It's far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but close enough that it's only an hour away, depending on traffic."

"I see."

Brünhilde remained quiet the rest of the trip as she took in the sights passing her by, all the while still anticipating the first meeting between herself and Naruto's daughter.

* * *

 _ **~An Hour Later~**_

After spending an hour shopping for clothes, the duo was but a few minutes away from Naruto's home.

"Well, that certainly took a lot longer than I first thought." muttered the super-soldier.

Valkyrie huffed. "It's not my fault the clothes of Midgard don't meet my qualifications."

"Brünhilde, concealing weapons isn't a qualification for choosing clothing. Nor is mobility." he told her, but then paused. "Okay, mobility is a factor, but not in the sense you're thinking."

"Hmph! Well it should be." she stated. "And this fabric, it's so thin. I practically feel naked."

Naruto let out a small sigh. They had gotten into an argument at the store, which started when she said the exact same thing. She felt that the blue sundress she was wearing, which looked magnificent on her by the way, was to thin in the fabric department. She went as far to say that it felt like she was wearing a nightgown. There was no armored plating, or leather, to defend against attacks.

Thankfully, it didn't get more heated than that, and she resumed her shopping, eventually settling on a few pieces of clothing. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. For being a centuries old inter-dimensional goddess, it was quite easy to see that she was anxious.

"Everything's going to be fine." he said, reassuring her.

Brünhilde bit her lip. "But what if Laura doesn't like me? Or the fact that I'm moving in?"

"You're just over-thinking things. Just be yourself, and everything else will take care of itself."

Not sure if he was being serious with her or not, and before she could say anything, they pulled up into the driveway of a very, very, large home. It was by far the largest of the few she had seen. As they came to a stop, she noticed two individuals waiting outside.

One was a young-woman she didn't know. The other was clearly her friend's daughter. No sooner had her blonde comrade stepped out of his vehicle did the little girl come rushing towards him, jumping into his arms. She eventually got out of the vehicle as well, and was immediately put under an intense stare from the unknown young-woman.

' _Have I already blundered somehow?'_ thought Brünhilde.

The young-woman was looking at her as if they were about to start fighting. Shaking her head, she then noticed the little girl in front of her. Laura was looking up at her curiously. Looking up, she looked for Naruto, but found him speaking with the unknown young-woman. She was on her own. She suddenly nodded to herself.

' _Best to start off with a greeting.'_

Just as she was about to open her mouth, and begin her first conversation with Naruto's daughter, she was interrupted by the little girl.

"Are you my mommy?"

Brünhilde, along with the other two, froze. Though she was also sure she heard the teeth of the young-woman click, as she inhaled deeply. She opened her mouth to say something, but abruptly closed it. She didn't know how to respond to that. How could she?

She had of course been practicing what to say on the way over, thinking of telling the little girl that she and her father are lovers, but that line of thinking was out the window now. What could she tell this little girl? The truth? If her father had yet to tell her, then she obviously couldn't. Never had her blunt personality been quelled, nor had it ever made her feel so...self-conscious about the way she speaks or acts. Thankfully, Naruto was there to help her.

"Laura, sweetie, the pretty lady is a friend of mine who's going to be staying with us for a while."

Those present didn't need to be very trained to see the bout of sadness pass through Laura's eyes before doing a one-eighty, and giving everyone a smile.

"Okay." she said, and then looked at the pretty lady. "I'll introduce you to my stuffed animals later."

Naruto allowed himself a brief moment to let out a breath of relief. He wasn't expecting her to ask such a question. Looking to his right, he noticed that Jessica was still here. Best to get her home. She didn't need to see this part of his family. He walked over to her, wallet in hand, and paid her.

"I don't know what I'd do if you weren't in my life, Jess." She was a life savior.

Jessica Drew lit up like a Christmas tree when she heard his words. "You're welcome. Always happy to help." she mumbled.

He grinned. "I'll probably end up taking you up on that offer sooner or later." he said. "Drive safely. I want you to call me once you're home. Okay?"

Jess rolled her eyes a bit, but nodded with a smile on her face all-the-same. She then leaned into him, and gave him a goodbye hug, all the while stoically staring at Brünhilde. She bid them goodbye, and left.

Ignoring the stare-off she had with the young-woman named Jessica Drew, though she had an idea of what that was about, she approached her fellow blonde.

"Why have you not told your daughter the truth yet?"

He took a deep breath, and exhaled. "What exactly am I supposed to tell her? That her mother is never coming home because she died at the hands of some psychopaths? No, I won't put her through that."

"What have you been telling her then?"

"That her mother is a very busy person due to her being a scientist."

Valkyrie stared at him for a moment. "That excuse will only last for so long. She will not stay a child forever, and eventually, she will begin to question things. Your lying will eventually come back to bite you sooner or later."

He reluctantly nodded, knowing what she said to be true. "Yeah, I know." he said quietly. "C'mon, let me show you to your room."

* * *

– _**Nine Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **October 10th, 2002**_

"Hit me."

Naruto was currently sitting in a bar, in Manhattan. Today was supposed to be a day of celebration, as it was his birthday, but he just couldn't bring himself to celebrate much today. He downed his shot.

"Hit me."

"Boy, you must really want to forget something fierce if you're downing that many shots."

Both he, and the bartender, heard a feminine voice from behind. Slightly turning around, an attractive woman came into view. The super-soldier eyed her for a bit, and then nodded.

"Something like that."

She took a seat next to him. "What happened? If you don't mind me asking?"

"I was betrayed."

Well, the correct term is defection, but it was all the same to him. Tony Masters, better known to most as Taskmaster, had defected from SHIELD little over a week ago. There were only three ways, at least to his knowledge, of leaving the organization. One was obviously defection. Another was to gain the permission from the current director, which would be next to impossible, and the last was leaving in a body bag. Though now that he thought about it, perhaps one could gain permission depending on the circumstances. He shook his head, that didn't matter right now.

The little bastard he'd taught, and treated as one of his own, stabbed him in the back, and then tried to have him killed in an explosion when he went to visit him at his apartment.

The woman beside him suddenly started nodding. "I've seen a lot of cheaters in my line of work."

He put his shot glass down, and faced her. "And what, pray tell, do you do that you see so much of it?"

"I'm a private investigator." she said. "Jessica Jones." she introduced. He shook her hand. "I could find out who your ex cheated on you with? For a small fee of course."

"Thank you for the offer, Ms. Jones, but I'll have to decline."

He didn't want her death on his conscious, not that it would help. The longer Taskmaster was out there on his own, the more people were at risk, and all of it would be his fault. No, he was going to take care of this problem on his own.

"Hit me."

"I think you've had enough. I'm cutting you off." said the bartender. "Go back to your family."

Naruto looked at the bartender, who was also his friend/employee, and contemplated telling the man to mind his own business, but then Laura's face popped into his head. He shook his head. He's so stupid. He shouldn't be out here thinking about Masters, and what he was going to do to him. He outta be at home, with his daughter, where he could celebrate his birthday the right way.

"Good call, Luke." He dropped a few bills on the counter. "That should be enough to pay off my tab. I'll see you later."

"Catch ya later." said Luke Cage, bidding his friend goodbye.

Upon exiting the establishment, and out into the streets of Harlem, the cool air of the night hit him very quickly, and began to sober him up, not that it would take very long. He couldn't really get drunk, not unless it was a lot of it, or it was really powerful. Anyways, since it was nighttime, he was being given a pretty nice view of the New York skyline being shadowed by the moon. Though he was only really looking at one building in particular. The Baxter Building.

Strangely, his thoughts did not lean towards his two former employees now working in the building, but to another. Towards someone he had known longer. That person was Reed Richards. He honestly wasn't all that surprised when he learned the young-man had been invited to the think tank as well. What did surprise him, however, was the fact that Susan and Victor were partnering up with him on his project.

Speaking of said project, which involved space exploration, it seemed to have hit a snag. It didn't have anymore funding. Reed informed him he had used up everything he had saved, and everything that his father left him, and it still wasn't enough, even with Susan and Victor pitching in their own. Seeing as they still needed some, he decided to give them some, and invested in the project as it's lone backer. He wanted to see all three of them succeed.

The trio, but more specifically, Richards, was nothing short of overjoyed when he told them that he was going to invest. Reed promised him all sorts of tech created by his hands as a thanks. While he would normally accept such a generous offer, he had declined it. He wanted a little more from him. He wanted what Reed was current building, a spaceship. Now, he didn't have plans to ever travel into space, but it never hurt to be prepared. He would pay for it out of his own pocket of course, but he wanted it built by Richards. He didn't need it right away or anything, so time was no issue. When he informed Reed of what he wanted in return for his long-term investment, the young-man hesitated, but obviously weighed the pros and cons in his head, and eventually agreed. So, they ironed out a few more details, and a deal was made between the two of them.

Done admiring the view of the skyline, he activated his mangekyō, and vanished. It was time to head on home.

* * *

The super-soldier suddenly appeared in the middle of his pitch black bedroom, though not in his home of New Rochelle. He was currently in his Manhattan penthouse. Laura had suggested that they go out to celebrate his birthday, and he agreed. She of course couldn't go out with him at night, and seeing as they were in Manhattan, he called Jessica up to look after his baby girl. He had a feeling that was her plan all along, to spend time with Jess, and get out of that house.

It had been a very tough transition for Laura, what with Brünhilde moving in and whatnot. It's gotten better over the months, but he could see how suddenly having a female in the house a lot more often than was the usual could affect her. She wasn't used to it, or having to split the time she was spending with him, as Valkyrie took up the other half. Speaking of the Norse goddess, she was out, has been for the past couple of days. She's out doing her job.

Hearing the laughter of Laura and Jessica in the next room, he decided to let them know that he was home. The moment he stepped out of his room, and into the hallway, he knew something was wrong. His sixth sense was going off. Before he could attempt to locate what was causing this, two shadows emerged from in front of him. Oh how he wished Brünhilde was here. Ready to defend himself, and his family, he was caught off-guard when the two shadows suddenly took a knee, and bowed their heads to him in respect.

Not wasting any time, he unleashed the full scope of his presence on them, and only them, planting the two of them in place, and making it nigh impossible to breathe. He only had one question for them.

"Did either of you hurt the child or young-woman in the next room?"

"...N...o..."

If the situation hadn't been so dire, he'd actually be impressed that one of them managed to mutter a few words.

"I'll be back."

The super-soldier left the two struggling, and approached Laura's bedroom. He knocked on the door.

"Girls, it's me." he said. "Can I come in?"

"Daddy!"

He'll take that as a yes. Opening the door, he soon spotted Laura atop her bed, with various coloring books scattered around her, and Jessica sitting on the carpet, reading her books. Laura jumped off of her bed, and ran full steam ahead into him.

"Oof! She ran head first into his stomach, and then wrapped her small arms around him in a hug. "You gotta be careful with me sweetie. I'm an old man. You could hurt me by running into me."

The little clone of Sarah giggled. "Silly. You're my dad, you're not old."

Naruto smiled down at her. Technically, she's correct. While he may not age on the outside, though he does use the transformation technique to keep up appearances, he is still considered an old man on the inside though.

"How was your birthday party with all your friends?" she asked. Her question snapped him out of his thoughts. "Did you have fun?" she inquired.

He gave her a megawatt smile as he picked her up. "It was great, they even sung me happy birthday."

Laura gave him a big smile in return, leaned in close to him, and then planted a kiss on his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked, not that he was complaining. He would take her kisses all day.

"That was your last present from me." she answered. She'd made him breakfast in bed earlier.

"Aw, thanks baby girl." He returned the favor, giving her a kiss as well. "I really needed that."

"Is everything okay?" asked Jessica, the ever inquisitive one.

His eyes traveled over to Jessica, who was looking into his. "Everything's fine." He reassured her with a smile, which tinted her cheeks pink. "I just wanted to check on you two when I got in. I also wanted to see if either of you wanted some hot chocolate?" Laura hollered a yes while Jessica thanked him. "Come downstairs when I call you." he said.

At the very least, they'd stay in the room and would never know that there were two intruders who had been in the house with them. As he exited the room, and closed the door, he heard Laura ask Jessica a question.

"Why is your face so red, Jess?"

"Because it's hot in here!" she exclaimed defensively.

Naruto couldn't help but crack a smile when hearing that, though that smile soon vanished the second he came back into contact with the two intruders. They were right where he left them.

"Okay, we'll start off with something simple. What are your names?"

Seeing as they were still struggling against the pressure he'd left them in, he let up a bit. The one on his right spoke.

"My name is Elektra Natchios." she introduced. "This is my friend, and partner, Maya Lopez."

Having gotten their names, he proceeded onto the next question. "Why are you in my home?"

"We're here to ask for your help."

His eyes narrowed. "You have some gall to ask for my help, after what the two of you did. Tell me, why would I help you?"

The woman known as Elektra managed to look up at him. "Because, The Hand has returned."

* * *

 ** _End – Chapter Fourteen_**

* * *

 _Okay, so that scene with Brünhilde and Laura. From what I've read, and watched, I figure that most Asgardians are the type to be straightforward in their actions, and blunt in their speech, meaning they don't have filters. I wanted to show what happens when one of them realizes that they can't just say or do whatever they want all the time. Hopefully I showed that in the Valkyrie meeting Laura scene which eventually led to a very uncomfortable situation regarding Laura's birth mother._

 _If there's anything that I didn't explain clearly enough, and you want a better understanding, then don't hesitate to leave your question in the review section, or send me a PM._

 _Happy New Year!_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **We arrive at another chapter. Hope you enjoy!**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

 _The super-soldier suddenly appeared in the middle of his pitch black bedroom, though not in his home of New Rochelle. He was currently in his Manhattan penthouse. Laura had suggested that they go out to celebrate his birthday, and he agreed. She of course couldn't go out with him at night, and seeing as they were in Manhattan, he called Jessica up to look after his baby girl. He had a feeling that was her plan all along, to spend time with the older girl, and get out of that house._

 _It had been a very tough transition for Laura, what with Brünhilde moving in and whatnot. It's gotten better over the months, but he could see how suddenly having a female in the house a lot more often than was the usual could affect her. She wasn't used to it, or having to split the time she was spending with him, as Valkyrie took up the other half. Speaking of the Norse goddess, she was out, has been for the past couple of days. She's doing her job._

 _Hearing the laughter of Laura and Jessica in the next room, he decided to let them know that he was home. The moment he stepped out of his room, and into the hallway, he knew something was wrong. His sixth sense was going off. Before he could attempt to locate what was causing this, two shadows emerged from in front of him. Oh how he wished Brünhilde was here. Ready to defend himself, and his family, he was caught off-guard when the two shadows suddenly took a knee, and bowed their heads to him in respect._

 _Not wasting any time, he unleashed the full scope of his presence on them, and only them, planting the two of them in place, and making it nigh impossible to breathe. He only had one question for them._

" _Did either of you hurt the child or young-woman in the next room?"_

" _...N...o..."_

 _If the situation hadn't been so dire, he'd actually be impressed that one of them managed to mutter a few words._

" _I'll be back."_

 _The super-soldier left the two struggling, and approached Laura's bedroom. He knocked on the door._

" _Girls, it's me." he said. "Can I come in?"_

" _Daddy!"_

 _He'll take that as a yes. Opening the door, he soon spotted Laura atop her bed, with various coloring books scattered around her, and Jessica sitting on the carpet, reading her books. Laura jumped off of her bed, and ran full steam ahead into him._

" _Oof! She ran head first into his stomach, and then wrapped her small arms around him in a hug. "You gotta be careful with me sweety. I'm an old man. You could hurt me by running into me."_

 _The little clone of Sarah giggled. "Silly. You're my dad, you're not old."_

 _Naruto smiled down at her. Technically, she's correct. While he may not age on the outside, though he does use the transformation technique to keep up appearances, he is still considered an old man on the inside though._

" _How was your birthday party with all your friends?" she asked. Her question snapped him out of his thoughts. "Did you have fun?" she inquired._

 _He gave her a big smile he had as he picked her up. "It was great, they even sung me happy birthday."_

 _Laura gave him a big smile in return, leaned in close to him, and then planted a kiss on his cheek._

" _What was that for?" he asked, not that he was complaining. He would take her kisses all day._

" _That was your last present from me." she answered. She'd made him breakfast in bed earlier._

" _Aw, thanks baby girl." He returned the favor, giving her a kiss as well. "I really needed that."_

" _Is everything okay?" asked Jessica._

 _His eyes traveled over to Jessica, who was looking into his. "Everything's fine." He reassured her with a smile, which tinted her cheeks pink. "I just wanted to check on you two when I got in. I also wanted to see if either of you wanted some hot chocolate?" Laura hollered a yes while Jessica thanked him for doing such a thing for them. "Come downstairs when I call you." he said._

 _At the very least, they'd stay in the room and would never know that there were two intruders who had been in the house with them. As he exited the room, and closed the door, he heard Laura ask Jessica a question._

" _Why is your face so red, Jess?"_

" _Because it's hot in here!" she exclaimed defensively._

 _Naruto couldn't help but crack a smile when hearing that, though that smile soon vanished the second he came back into contact with the two intruders. They were right where he left them._

" _Okay, we'll start off with something simple. What are your names?"_

 _Seeing as they were still struggling against the pressure he'd left them in, he let up a bit. The one on his right spoke._

" _My name is Elektra Natchios." she introduced. "This is my friend, and partner, Maya Lopez."_

 _Having gotten their names, he proceeded onto the next question. "Why are you in my home?"_

" _We're here to ask for your help."_

 _His eyes narrowed. "You have some nerve to ask for my help, after what you two did. Tell me, why should I bother to help you?"_

 _The woman known as Elektra managed to look up at him. "Because, The Hand has returned."_

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

Naruto's gaze sharpened when hearing that. "Not possible." He would know if they were attempting to make a return. Not since he first destroyed, or crippled, them had he heard anything of them. "You're information is incorrect."

"Our organization isn't wrong." stated Elektra, shaking her head. "They're preparing for a war that the city, and world, doesn't even is they're apart of."

The blonde was quickly seeing just what kind of person he was dealing with here. A blind follower. Not yet a zealot, but coming closer. He decided to humor her. Maybe he could get some decent information out of her.

"What evidence do you have that they're returning?"

She did not answer, remaining quiet. He looked to the one called Maya. She said nothing. He waited a few seconds. Neither said anything, thus proving his point. He decided to move past this farce, and ask questions more prevalent to the current situation.

"Who trained you?"

Not many could sneak up on him, even if they did get caught. It was a testament to those who trained them, but there was also something else. Something in the back of his mind. It was like a tick! Gnawing at him!

"The two of us have been trained by the Chaste since we were children."

"Chaste? Never heard of 'em." And that wasn't a good thing. He knew how secretive an organization had to be if they've gone unnoticed, and by him and Fury no less, for this long.

"It's an organization created solely for the purpose of combating the Hand."

Blonde eyebrows actually rose, that's how surprised he was to hear that. This was news to the super-soldier, who now wished he had heard of them earlier. He could have really used their help back in the day.

"Why are the two of you here then?" he questioned. "And asking for my help no less, when you've got an organization at your back, preparing to fight the supposed return of our enemy?"

Natchios, who had been doing all the talking, suddenly went quiet. He waited a bit before he decided to move on to her partner. He repeated his question. He was slightly caught off-guard when she began to sign her answer. She was deaf.

 _(Elektra and I were excommunicated from the Chaste.)_ answered Maya.

 _(Why was this?)_ He asked in return.

 _(...Because our methods of combat were deemed too extreme by our master and comrades.)_

 _(I see...)_ He would file that away for later _. (Who is your master?)_

 _(A man named Stick.)_

The blonde ninja ran the name through his head but came up empty. He's never heard of this man, and would need to be looked into. He addressed the deaf woman once more. _(Is this the man who informed the two of you of me?)_

It didn't take a genius to figure out that these two wouldn't have known about him on their own. He was before their time. Which meant they had to hear about him from someone who wasn't. All signs pointed to their master.

 _(Was it him or not?)_ He asked again. She didn't answer, and he let out a sigh. Time to dangle some bait in front of them. _(Look, if either of you want my help with whatever this is, then you're going to answer the question.)_ He posed the question to Elektra, and she gave him a microscopic nod. "How does you know of me?"

"We know of you because of the stories our master told us, who was once told the exact same stories by his own master, a man called Izo." she explained. "Master Izo was once a member of the Hand during the war. He was part of a Clan called Senju."

Well, that certainly explained how they knew of him, why the two women were excommunicated, and what that nagging feeling in the back of his mind was. The Chaste was basically another version of the Hand. Though it seemed only these two took full advantage of the Hand's training methods, and used what they learned to it's fullest potential.

"...Is the man still alive?"

Elektra shook her head. "No. He's dead. He died shortly after defecting from the Hand, but not before creating the Chaste, and informing Stick of you and what you did to our enemy."

The blonde sighed. While the blonde had an answer to his query, he didn't like the fact that there was still someone out there who knew of him, and his past. He could count the number of people who did on one hand. He took a deep breath, and exhaled. He would deal with the knowledge of this information later. It was time to find out why these two were really here.

"Why are you really here?" he asked. "Because two excommunicated members of an organization that I didn't even know existed don't just show up out of the blue, asking for help, without having an ulterior motive. So I ask again. Why are you here?" He held up his hand before Elektra answered. "And don't bullshit me here. I'll wipe your minds clean of everything related to me, and send the two of you out of here packing."

Natchios nodded, knowing from the stories that this man could carry out his threat. "The two of us wish to get back in the good graces of our master and organization." she revealed. "We figured that by eliminating our enemy before a war could break out it would do just that."

Naruto could now see why their comrades thought these two extreme. They were trying to end a war before it even started. "Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people die." he said. "Every time." He signed it for Maya.

Of the two, only the deaf woman actually looked remorseful of what her actions could potentially mean for others. Elektra couldn't meet his eyes when he said that, but he did spot a small frown on her face. She wasn't completely heartless it seems.

"It was either return after doing that, or learn from the one who first destroyed our enemy."

The former director of SHIELD was absolutely flabbergasted when he heard that sentence come out of her mouth. That's not how logic dictated things should work. That being said, he was also intrigued by this idea. Never let it be said that he didn't enjoy teaching. It was just difficult finding students who met his standards, or who could handle his training. He eyed the two of them. If he was going to do this, as crazy as it was, then he needed to know something first, as he doesn't want a repeat of the Taskmaster situation.

"What exactly did the Hand do to earn your ire?" He wanted to know exactly what motivated these two to do the things they did. This would be their first test.

Neither answered, and he decided to wait a few seconds. Both remained quiet, and he sighed internally. Well, they just failed. He looked at them both square in the eyes.

"Why should I bother to help you, let alone teach, when you can't be honest with me?" he asked. "Not to mention the fact that the both of you broke into my home, inadvertently putting my family in danger."

Both women looked at one another and started having a silent conversation with each other. He waited there patiently, and was rewarded when Maya spoke first.

 _(...I never knew my mother.)_ She began. _(All I had in my life was my father, but he was taken away from me by the Hand when I was a child.)_ revealed the deaf woman. _(All I have left to remember him by is this hand-print on my face, that he gave me as he laid dying in a pool of his own blood, looking up at me.)_

Naruto barely managed to hide the grimace that was threatening to show on his face. He didn't know if he could ever mark his daughter with his blood like that. Whatever reason the man had for doing it, he would respect it, from one father and man to another. He gave Maya a sympathetic nod, and looked at Elektra.

"They killed my mother and father."

He patiently waited to hear more, but none came. He now understood what their motivation was after hearing their reasons. It was revenge they wanted, clear and simple. "Once you have the vengeance that you seek, what then? Because I highly doubt either of you will be allowed back into the Chaste, not after letting your emotions control your actions." Or the fact that they gave him the name of their master and the name of their organization.

"If neither the Chaste, or you, want us, then we will walk our own path." stated Natchios.

Well, he certainly didn't like the sound of that. He could see a lot of anger in their eyes, but also a lot of potential. He would be remiss if he didn't attempt to cultivate it, and down a non-destructive path. Because if he didn't, and he let them walk after this, not that they would remember him, odds were high that the two would turn to wet work, and with their skills, they'd be good at it.

It was already a problem with the Winter Soldier, and some new upstart called Black Widow. SHIELD knew next to nothing about this person, except that they were from the Red Room in Russia. Anyways, if the two women in front of him did indeed turn to wet work, then odds were even higher that he would eventually be called in to take them out.

"Are you going to help us or not?"

The blonde let out a long winded sigh, and probably against his better judgment, began to slowly ease off the pressure. They looked up at him. "I'll help, but if I'm going to do this, then you will follow every one of my orders to the letter, or we're going to have problems." he said. "If you betray me, I will hunt you down, and then proceed to erase every memory you have of me, my daughter, my home, everything. Who knows, I may even erase a good memory or two of yours along the way. Do I make myself clear?"

He knew his words were hypocritical since he'd yet to do what he was threatening to do to Taskmaster, but the only reason for that was because the man had gone deep underground. If there's one thing Masters didn't need his help with, it was staying hidden and undetected.

Elektra and Maya looked at him in alarm. They had no reason to betray this man, not unless he gave them one. Besides, to them, losing what good memories they had left of their families was worse than death. If they lost those, then what's the point of everything they'd done till now. The path they've had to endure thus far has all been for them.

They both gave him a nod, one which he returned. "I'm ready to begin whenever the two of you are."

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **November 12th, 2002**_

A full month, give or take a few days, has come and gone since Elektra and Maya had first entered his life, and he wasn't gonna lie, it was tough. For them. Him not so much. He isn't the one who's had to adjust to a different way of life.

In the month since he's taken them in, they had yet to hear so much as a whisper on anything regarding the Hand. Let alone actually encountering a member, and they searched, thoroughly. This was good in his opinion. It just proved to his students that what the Chaste preached was not the be all end all.

He would often use this against them, subtly telling them that they'd been following the wrong people for years. It was a bit manipulative, but it was for their own good. He wanted the two of them to think for themselves, and not with the mindset of a Chaste member. He emphasized this particular point to them on many occasions, but none more so than when they were sparring, as only certain things can be conveyed when people were going at one another.

Speaking of sparring, and training. Both women were very talented, in their own ways.

Elektra was far and away the most natural of the two when it came to martial arts, though were she truly shined brightest was with weaponry. None more so than with the twin sai's, a weapon he had seen Namora wield a countless number of times. Which is how he was even able to teach Natchios, as he did not have much experience using them himself.

Maya had to be approached differently. While the woman is as physically gifted as her fellow student, it was her disability that would make or break her. Though that was his state of mind, it all changed when he learned of an ability she had that would allow her to keep pace, and perhaps even surpass Elektra. It was an ability he was very familiar with, as he'd trained it before in the past. She has photographic reflexes. The same ability that the traitor Taskmaster has.

Training wasn't the only thing he had on his agenda. While he had indeed been trying to have the two think independently, he was also trying to guide them from walking down a path of destruction that the Chaste insisted they walk on, but he wasn't stopping there. He was also attempting to heal their hatred. Admittedly, that was going to be a much tougher task.

Though he really wasn't one to talk he supposed. He still hated those who hurt him, and his family, in the past. There was a difference between he and his students, however, as he had no plans to actually go out and do something about it. His anger faded long ago with their deaths. He was trying to teach them it was okay to hate those who hurt you, but not to turn into that which you hate by letting your anger win. The only thing that would await them is a life of suffering.

The two gave him grief after he said that to him, not because he actually said it to them, as he could see that they understood the meaning, but that they were not his own words. That he took them from a little swamp frog. He couldn't refute them, after all, those were some of his favorite films.

Anyways, as he predicated, it hasn't been an easy task, then again, it's only been a month since they've been here, and at the very least he was making some headway, with Maya anyways. Elektra's anger and hatred were still holding strong, but that was okay. Nothing worth doing is every easy. With all that being said, the duo still hasn't given up the notion of the Hand returning, their expectations, however, were tempered. If he were a betting man, he'd wager this displeased their master and organization.

Speaking of the one known as Stick. He looked the man up. Didn't find a single thing on him. No known name, place of residence, spouse, etc. This man, whoever he was, is one of the few ghosts that inhabit their world. He wasn't the only person he looked into. He also looked up Elektra and Maya. Though for an entirely different reason compared to that of their master. He wanted to know what made the two of them...them. To see if anything in their pasts could help him help them.

Normally, he would have sorted through their memories to assist him, but he did that already, and he didn't want to do it again, not when they've been loyal so far. He'd entered their minds very early on in this relationship of theirs to see what exactly they knew about him. It wasn't much. They had stories of his abilities, and next to nothing about what he actually did during the war while with the Hand. He's thankful for that. He didn't need more people knowing what he did during that era.

There wasn't much info on Maya. Records showed she was born deaf, and to a Native American family. Her records stopped there unfortunately, but would resurface again years later, when she won the first of many artistic awards.

Elektra was on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to her partner. She was born in Greece, to a very wealthy family, and to a man who would eventually become the Greek ambassador to the United States. The hits didn't stop there, however. She even knew a local celebrity.

News broke days ago about Wilson Fisk, a prominent member of New York society, and one of the most successful businessmen in America, having had a hand in a number of illicit activities. Prosecution was handled by two up-and-coming lawyers from Hell's Kitchen, though only one of them mattered to the Greek woman. She dated the man in the past when her family first moved here and she began to attend Columbia University.

That lawyer's name is Matthew Murdock.

When he learned that, he couldn't help but shake his head. It really was a small world. He recognized the surname. He knew Matt's father, well, not personally. It was more on the account of he knew of him. It was during a bit of off-time in the past when he saw the man for the first time. To help him unwind from a mission, he would often try and catch a sporting event, but during the ungodly hour he was out at, there wasn't much, except underground boxing. That was when he was first introduced to Jonathan "Jack" Murdock. The man was one helluva fighter, and could take a punch with the best of 'em. It was unfortunate he lost his life to a mobster, of whom he helped apprehend, but it was a crying shame that he couldn't be here today to see the type of man his son had become.

 _Bzzt! Bzzt!_

The phone vibrating in his pocket snapped him out of his daze, and he looked at the area code. It read nine-two-nine. That was Brooklyn.

' _It's about time.'_

He had been expecting a company call from Jessica at some point, as she asked him if he wanted to go out and get some lunch together a few days ago. Looking past the area code, and to the caller name, he frowned when it read Victoria's name. Not that he didn't want to receive a call from her. He was just a little hungry is all.

Anyways, ever since he brought Victoria over from the desert, the woman has met, and often more than not, exceeded his expectations, easily integrating herself into the company, and the role left behind by Peggy Carter, whom had retired to a quieter life. He picked up.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other-end of the line did not belong to his assistant. "Mr. Rogers!"

That didn't sound good. "Who is this? Hello!?"

"It's Moy, sir!"

Ah, that would explain why he didn't recognize her voice yet. It was his newest employee. Alyssa Moy. A woman who is said to be as smart as Reed Richards, and this was a direct quote from the man, who also added that they used to date.

"What's wrong?" He could hear her crying from the other-end. His heart nearly came to a stop when he heard gunshots and yelling in the background. The line went quiet for a second, and before he could open his mouth to speak again, more gunfire and yelling was heard, but this time by a voice he did in fact recognize. It was Victoria.

"Give me the phone!" Her voice came through easy, that's how loud she was yelling. "Sir! Uzumaki Industries is under attack!"

"By who?!"

He didn't receive an answer right away, and was instead treated to more silence before hearing more shots being fired, and by what sounded like a desert eagle no less. Victoria eventually came back on.

"Hydra!" she yelled. "I don't know what it is they want, but whatever it is, they want it bad if they're willing to attack you!"

He had to agree with her on that one. Ever since he learned Hydra infiltrated the government, he had to assume they knew he was one of only two super-soldiers created, so they couldn't be attacking him because of that. They didn't know of his Kagebōshi persona, so it couldn't be that either. That left him with some other options.

It's entirely possible they were attacking because one of his scientists created something they wanted, or maybe they wanted a scientist because he gained their attention. That, or maybe Hydra was finally deciding to stop hiding, and were trying to crush him completely, which he doubted they could do. If it came to an all-out war between he and them, he would destroy them. Especially now that he has more allies at his back, which happen to include a few Asgardians. He doubted that's what this was though. Those in charge of Hydra wouldn't be so stupid to make a sudden gamble like this, which left him with one more option. A rogue Hydra faction. He hoped it was this as he didn't need a shadow war erupting.

"Did you activate the alarms in the building?" he questioned.

"Yes!" she answered, shooting off a few more rounds. "Hopefully others in the building heard it, and were able to escape." She was trying to save as many lives as she could while also calling for help.

He nodded, she did good. "Let's hope so. I'm on my way." He hung up, and then looked at Maya, who had stopped training once she saw him yelling into his phone. _(Grab your gear.)_ he said. _(Today is your first field test as Ronin.)_

The deaf woman nodded, and raced up the stairs of the Manhattan penthouse, the current residence of herself and Elektra. Speaking of the Greek woman, he would have called for her, but she was currently out doing her own thing, which he assumed meant looking for leads on the Hand. By the time she got the call and arrived, it could be too late. She would have to remain behind today.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

A distortion of space suddenly appeared on the roof of a building opposite Uzumaki Enterprises deep in the heart of Brooklyn. Naruto and Maya stepped out.

The deaf woman was glaring at the blonde's back. Her new master had not deigned to explain, or even warn, what his type of traveling could do to one's insides. Fortunately, she has a strong constitution, and was able to keep the contents of her stomach down. Besides, she didn't want to ruin all of the gear she was given.

Naruto paid his student no mind, as the sinking-like feeling she felt in her stomach would wear off soon enough, and focused completely on the building across from him, a frown on his face. He was able to spot SHIELD easily enough, but where was Hydra? He could see a couple of bodies laying outside of the building, which was thankfully blocked off from the viewing public, along with a few inside, but this was far to few to really make a push against him

Putting a hand on Maya's shoulder, the two flickered out of existence for a brief second, and appeared in front of Victoria, who was speaking with Clint and Barbara. He ignored the surprised looks on their faces, along with all of the weapons being pointed at him by his fellow agents. His frown grew in size as everyone else eventually calmed down. There were a lot more bodies inside, but still not enough to warrant their exposure, and have him on their case.

"They ordered a retreat." he mumbled to himself, now realizing why there were so few bodies. "They got what they came for..." The blonde looked at Victoria, and approached. Maya was right behind him.

"Who's the new ninja?" Clint asked his team leader. He was completely ignored.

Barbara shrugged. "Don't know, but whoever he is, he's got a nice ass." she complimented, having got a great view of the merchandise as he walked by.

"...I'm right here ya know."

Mockingbird turned to her lover, and patted him on the cheek. "I know you are, and don't worry, I think you've got a nice butt to."

"I feel so much better now."

Maya released a breath she didn't realize she had been holding as the questioning, which she expected to come, ended as quickly as it started. A lie was prepared for her and Elektra if either of them were to ever meet others of her master's ilk. It would serve to explain who they are, and what their relationship to Naruto was. It simply spoke volumes of her new master's presence that he could just show up with an unknown like her and everyone merely accepted it.

"Are you alright?" asked Naruto. She nodded. "Good. How about the rest of staff?"

Victoria grimaced. "Follow me."

She led him into the adjoining room, where various people were currently situated. From agents of the organization to scientists of his company. Everyone who was injured was brought here. His jaw flexed. So to were the dead it seems, as the sheets covering the bodies was a clear giveaway.

He inspected every single one of them, as he owed the deceased that much. All of their deaths affected him, as the people who work for him trusted him to provide a safe environment for them, but no one's death affected him more than those of Jonathan and Merriem Drew.

"I'm sorry. I know the three of you were close." Hand offered him her condolences.

The super-soldier gave her a microscopic nod, thanking her. His friends had lived full lives, as the two were approaching seventy in two years, but they didn't deserve to die like this. His eyes widened all of a sudden. He could he have forgotten about her. 'Jessica!' Mourning would have to wait. Besides, he's positive his deceased friends would forgive him if he left to check on their daughter. Quickly covering the two of them back up, he raced up the stairs, and stopped in front of the door to the room he gave her when she was here interning, or studying.

Reaching for the door knob, he turned it, opened the door, and entered. His frown from earlier returned in full force. There was a giant hole in the room. Everything else in the room was relatively untouched, but judging by the items knocked over, there had been a struggle, and she had lost. Hydra had Jessica. No time to figure out why, he turned to Clint, who had followed him up, as did the others.

"Check in with SHIELD and ask them if they picked up any energy readings in the past five minutes or so." There had to be one, there just had to be. The retreat was far too fast. The archer nodded, and got to work.

Naruto carefully made his way around the room in the hopes of perhaps finding a clue that could shed some light on why it was Jessica who was taken. He heard Clint speaking to himself.

"...Yeah, okay, thanks. They got a hit."

"Where?"

"They traced an energy source from this exact location to another I've never heard of." he said. "You ever heard of a place called Wundagore?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I've heard of it. It's located in a small country called Sokovia. I've been there once."

Whatever reason Hydra had for taking her there had to be tied into why they were there in the fifties in the first place. Though he supposed it didn't really matter at this point. All that mattered was retrieving Jessica. He looked at the three behind him.

"Grab hold of me."

Maya grimaced behind her mask, but did as ordered, as did the other two. All three of them began to feel their stomach's churn as their vision began to distort, and before two of them really knew what was happening, they were gone.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Minutes Later~**_

Naruto and the others stepped, or fell, in the case of Clint and Barbara, out of the portal a few minutes later. He took a deep breath, and exhaled. He was once more at the base of the mountain, specifically in the area where he had last fought Hydra.

He released a sigh. Those were simpler times. When he had Sersi, Thundra, and Adriana by his side. It felt like such a lifetime ago now. He shook his head. Nostalgia of the past was beginning to creep up on him. Anyways, the area was still as he remembered it back in '54, a blackened crater, where a building used to be.

Seeing as Hydra had not rebuilt their former building, or built a new one in it's place, that left only one other option. They relocated, and he had an idea of where. It was the only other place he had ever seen an agent Hydra.

He began to head in the direction of where the High Evolutionary used to be stationed at, before taking off into space. He ignored Clint and Barbara's glaring, no doubt for what his method of transportation just put their stomach's through, and was eventually joined by Maya as he began to walk away from the area.

* * *

Finally reaching their destination, the male super-soldier wasn't surprised to see a new structure on the land that once housed Wyndham and his creations. Hydra had indeed moved in, and they even got with the times, as was evident in the style the building was created in. It was also bigger than the last one. It was three stories now, compared to the two the last one had.

There were also a lot more Hydra agents patrolling this building than the last one, then again, the last building was already under siege by Thundra and Adriana by the time he and Sersi arrived back then. The rest of his team finally arrived, and their eyes narrowed at what they were looking at. He looked at them.

"Time to get to work." he said. "Let's go and save the princess from the castle."

* * *

The quartet of warriors had a very cold air about them, which was mostly predicated by the man who's leading them into the lion's den. Though it could hardly be called a den. It was more of a hovel, at least in Naruto's eyes. Once their course of action was decided, they methodically began to eliminate every single operative that came at them, inching closer and closer to their goal, and towards the man who's running this operation, Otto Vermis.

Naruto has never met the man personally, like most of the commanders of Hydra, but he has heard the man's name whispered about. The first time was when he was here in 'fifty-four. He read the mind of the man's second-in-command at the time, a Heinrich Zemo. The second time was just now, when he'd read the mind of a grunt.

The man was here. They were finally going to meet for the first, and last, time. The group was standing in front of the thickest door they'd encountered yet. It was the last unopened door in the facility, and the one in the grunt's mind that he was never allowed to enter. Chances were high Jessica was behind it. The blonde looked at his team again.

"Our first priority is Jessica." he ordered. "Everything else is secondary."

The trio following him nodded, and all of them equipped their weapons. Clint with his bow and arrows, Bobbi with her Eskrima Sticks, and Ronin with her twin katana's. Removing his single kōdachi from it's sheathe, Naruto stoically stared at the last barrier between him and Jessica. Vermis must have truly believed he was untouchable, because if he didn't, he would have gotten something stronger to defend himself with than a steel door.

His blade cut through the door like a hot knife through butter. No sooner had it collapsed did a torrent of fire, a hail of bullets, and blasts of energy get fired upon them. It was to be expected, after all, they hadn't exactly been subtle with their actions.

"Increase the radiation!" Those with enhanced hearing heard the command being given by whom they could only assume was Vermis. "I want to see the insect gene manifest!"

That caught the attention of the lone shinobi, but it was quickly replaced when he heard Jessica scream at the top of her lungs. He called forth his armor, and his susanoo began to settle over him like that of a second skin. Once it settled over his frame, he entered the room.

He ignored the gnats pelting him, and the rise in temperature coating him, but did not ignore the shots being fired at him with an unknown energy. Maneuvering around the chaos like a dancer, the armored warrior began to kill everything that wore a Hydra emblem, his team following suit. Arrows flew right by him, killing those primarily operating firearms, flamethrowers, and energy based weapons. He took care of a few of them as well along the way. Mockingbird and Ronin eventually emerged from behind the door frame once most of Hydra's long-range fighters were down, and began to take care of the rest.

Seeing as his team was taking care of things here, he began to search for Jessica. He'd been using her screaming to guide him, but it had suddenly stopped, which was never a good thing.

"Help!"

Whatever was going on, she had managed to alert him, but it wasn't coming from the floor he was on. It was coming from up above him. Looking up, he spotted Jessica in the clutches of Vermis on the third floor, being dragged away from sight. Seeing as there were no stairs, he had to assume Otto had used a platform of some kind to get himself and Jessica upstairs, one that only worked for him no doubt, but that was okay. He didn't need it to get up there.

Dropping his susanoo, he raced up the wall, and confronted Vermis. His jaw flexed when he got a good look at Jessica. She was haggard. Whatever they were trying to achieve here, they went to great lengths to make sure it manifested, as he could see the various cuts and wounds on her body. Not to mention all of the radiation she had just been subjected to.

"Please..." she pleased. "Help me..."

She was out of energy. The poor girl used it up earlier when she alerted him. He needed to reassure her somehow. Him just nodding wasn't going to cut it. He decided to take a gamble, and removed his mask from his face.

"Everything's going to be okay. I promise." He then looked at the Hydra commander. "If you let her go right now, I'll make your death quick, but for every second she isn't released, the pain you're going to experience will be the worst of your life."

Otto knew this man was speaking the truth, as he knew all too well about the demon standing in front of him, and what he'd done to his comrades in the past. Before he could give his answer, the rest of the man's team arrived, and the situation had gone from bad to worse. The fräulein and the one dressed in all black slowly positioned themselves around him, flanking him, while the archer stood in back, an arrow no doubt aimed at his head.

Quickly looking around, realization soon set in for the last Hydra member. He still had an opportunity for survival, as slim as it was. He just needed to retreat a few feet back, but he also needed to time this perfectly, or else he would no longer have a head. He looked at the man leading the opposition.

"If you want her, then you can have her!"

Vermis threw his project towards the man, turned around, ran as fast as he could, and immediately dove towards another platform. Once there, a small dome erected around him, just as an arrow was knocked and released, hitting the dome, and falling harmlessly to the ground.

"Sonuvabitch." cursed Hawkeye, knocking another arrow.

The fräulein and one dressed in black were also upon him, and were trying their hardest to break through the barrier. The man leading this group was preoccupied with the project, and he knew he had no better opportunity to run than right now. The platform began to shift and change, and where once stood nothing, now stood a vehicle, something Otto had created back in the day for situations like this. Stepping on the gas, he blasted off into the sky, gone and safe, or at least he thought he was. It all happened so fast he wasn't sure what had even happened. One second he was staring off into the ever expansive blue sky, the next he was looking down at the green landscape of mother earth.

He had been blasted out of the sky. Though it was not by Naruto, or any of his team. It was in fact by Jessica, as one of her hands was covered in some type of energy. She passed out soon after. The male super-soldier looked down at her sadly. Whether she would remember this horrific day or not, she had just taken a life. Stuff like that doesn't just go away. It usually has a way of coming back. It also seemed Hydra's experiments proved fruitful, as Jessica clearly unlocked some ability. He sighed, and turned to his team.

"Search the wreckage." he ordered, addressing Hawkeye. If anyone could spot something, it was this man. He looked at the other two. "Start searching the three floors for any information. I want to know what was going on here, and just what exactly was done to her."

The trio nodded, and got to work.

* * *

 _ **~Three Days Later~**_

Naruto let out a sigh. He was currently in the med-bay of the Triskelion, on his computer, overlooking a number of files that his team had gathered from the Hydra base in Wundagore. The files helped to shed some light on the reason why Jessica had been taken by Vermis.

Speaking of those two. Otto did not survive the crash, and Jessica was still unconscious, had been for the past few days. The doctors informed him it was only a matter of time until she woke up, much in the same vein as his brother. He's been by her side since she was admitted. He left his daughter in the care of Brünhilde, who was going to be paying a visit later on.

Anyways, the reason she was abducted was because of something called the insect-gene. It's exactly as it's name suggests, insect-like powers. The reason it caught his attention back in Wundagore is because of his old trainer, Adriana. She had this gene. Reason why he believed this is because he had seen her control spiders from time to time on missions. As sharp as his mind was, he couldn't remember not one instance where she had shown signs of having this gene when they were training. So it's safe to assume it must've awakened after she went through her own operation to become a super-soldier during the war.

The blonde couldn't help but snicker to himself as he recalled the memory of when he first witnessed her control the little creatures. He dubbed her the Spider-Queen from that moment forward. He shook his head. He was losing focus.

Whether or not Jessica has this gene or not, as the ability she displayed days ago can't be chalked up to this being the gene awakening or not, Vermis obviously believed she did, and with good reason. Her late parents, Johnathan and Merriem, were the two who had first discovered the gene. Files from their research, which Vermis had somehow acquired, suggested the insect-gene was another variation of the x-gene.

Otto's personal files even mentioned how the man pulled a lot of strings to have the then young couple travel to Wundagore back in the fifties, to work alongside Herbert Wyndham, who he also hired. All for the sake of this variation. Something confused him though.

If Vermis had indeed hired Wyndham, then why was Hydra attacking the man when he himself arrived on scene to retrieve him? 'Hm-mm...Perhaps Herbert learned of Otto's deception?' Whatever the case for their battle, it was done, and he moved on.

Naruto frowned when he had came upon a blank period in the files. Apparently, Vermis wasn't as adept at gathering intel as he first believed. None of the files so far mentioned why the Drew's avoided going to Wundagore for America, or what they'd been doing exactly prior to him hiring them nineteen years ago for his own company.

"Aaahh!"

The super-soldier was so startled by the sudden scream coming from Jessica that he nearly dropped his computer. Her thrashing around didn't help. Getting up from his seat, and putting his computer down, he gently grabbed hold of her, and nearly came to regret it. Jessica's sudden physical increase caught him off-guard, and he was nearly flung across the room if he hadn't applied more of his own strength to keep her in place.

"Calm down." His voice strained a bit as he kept trying to keep her in place. He would've used more of his strength, but he didn't want to risk hurting her in her current state. "You're safe now." His voice was starting to get through to her. One more push was needed. "It's me, Jessica! It's me, Nathan."

His voice broke through Jessica's fight or flight instincts when she realized who it was that was next to her, but as soon as she did, her mind was bombarded with memories of the past few days. Tears welled up in her eyes as she began to cry when she suddenly felt a warmth embrace her.

"My mom and dad...they're gone." she sobbed quietly. "...And I...killed someone." she whispered.

His jaw flexed, and he held her closer to him. They stayed that way for a few seconds until he looked down at her, and sighed lowly. "...Let me tell you a story from my past." he suddenly said. Jessica was still sobbing but calmed down a bit to listen. For as long as she's known him and taken care of his little girl, Jessica didn't know all that much about the man holding her. "A long time ago, I lost my unborn child, and mother-to-be, to a monster." He paused to let that sink in. "...I killed that monster, and that's exactly what you did. You didn't kill a human being. You killed a monster."

"...I still took a life though."

He tried to differentiate the killing for her, but in it's most basic form, she was right. She had still taken a life. "Yeah, you did..." he trailed off. "Think of it this way. You made it possible so that no one will ever have to go through the same things you did." he explained. He noticed his words getting through to her. "You're parents are never truly gone either, not as long as their in your heart." he said. "I know it sounds cheesy when I say it, but I stand by those words."

Hearing him say that calmed her down so much that she didn't even realize that she had stopped crying already, and his last statement brought a small smile to her face. He was right. It sounded pretty cheesy when it came out of his mouth, but she liked it.

"Your parents also left behind something pretty great to remember them by."

"Their research?"

"What? No." He placed a finger on her chest. "You." The smile on her face grew. It was cliché of him to say, but if it worked, it worked. "So, feeling any better now?" he asked. She gave him a nod. Lifting up her chin, and looking her in the eyes, he grinned. "Glad to hear it." he said. Slowly getting up from her bed, he began to leave her side but felt a tug on his sleeve.

"Don't leave." she pleaded, looking him in the eyes. "I don't want to be alone right now."

Naruto opened his mouth to say he really needed to file some reports, as they were days late already since he was here with her, but closed it. It'd be criminal of him to say no to her right now. She needed him. He nodded, and sat back down in the chair next to her bed. She surprised him when she suddenly laid her head down on his lap. Not about to tell her to move, he leaned back, and absentmindedly began to strum his fingers through her hair, much in the same way he does with Laura. He noticed that she was beginning to fall asleep, and he leaned down close to her.

"How you move forward from this point will define who you are in the future." he whispered softly into her ear.

Jessica Drew fell asleep hearing those words.

* * *

 _ **~A Few Hours Later~**_

' _Hm?'_

Naruto had fallen asleep alongside Jessica, but was awoken when he felt a pair of slender arms wrap around his neck, and a pair of soft lips press against his cheek. Brünhilde was here. Blinking himself awake, he spared his watch a glance. It read 10:30 pm.

"Rest assured, Laura is safe." The breath of her soft voice tickled the nape of his neck, and sent shivers throughout his body. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but was soon silenced. "She's asleep." It's as if she just read his thoughts.

He nodded his thanks to her. "Can you please reveal yourself?"

Valkyrie had this handy trick of being able to make herself invisible, mostly to avoid humanity's curious eyes, but it wasn't needed right now. The room housing Jessica had no cameras, recorders, etc. Per his request prior to Jessica being admitted to the med-bay, and even if they did, he would have found all of them, and removed them. Doing as requested, the Asgardian revealed herself to him. She stood in front of him.

"So, why did you want to see Jessica?"

She ran her hand through his hair affectionately. "Do I need a reason to?" She and the girl might have gotten off on the wrong foot, however that happened, but that was no reason for her not to be here and show her support.

"No, I don't suppose you do."

The room grew quiet, and only Jessica's soft breathing could be heard as she slept.

"...I wanted to do something for you." she revealed. "I've seen how distraught you've been these past few days."

Naruto didn't know how that was possible since he hasn't left this room, but chalked it up to it probably being an Asgardian ability or something. Using a special ability granted to her by being a Valkyrie, she was able to see Jessica's life-force, and it was strong.

"Her life-force is strong." She told him. "She will live yet for many more years. Whatever ails her will not be the cause of her demise."

Naruto wished she wasn't so blunt when she delivered the news, but in lieu of that, he was still happy to hear some good news. After all of the tests that were run on her since she had been admitted, he wasn't sure what the outcome would be since no one could give him a clear answer. His blue eyes met hers.

"Thank you for the reassuring news."

The Asgardian nodded, and then proceeded to peer down at Jessica's sleeping face. "She fancies you, you know." Naruto's eyes snapped open just as they were closing, and looked at Brünhilde. "Perhaps even loves you."

He looked down at Jessica's serene face, and shook his head. "She just lost the two most important members of her family, her emotions are everywhere right now." he countered. "Whatever it is you're seeing that I'm not, it's not love, at least not in the traditional sense of a man and woman. Besides, I'm to old for her, and even if I wasn't, I'm already seeing someone." he said, winking at Valkyrie.

Brünhilde smiled, but also shook her head. "Age is but a number." she re-countered. "Were I to heed your logic, then the two of us would have never worked, because I am far, far, older than thee."

The super-soldier's teeth clicked. She had him there. He remained silent for a moment, thinking about what she just said, and for whatever reason, his time in the Hand suddenly came to the forefront of his mind. Specifically the polygamous, and open, relationships going on around him at the time. He shook his head, and looked at the blonde woman.

"It wouldn't be fair to you, or her, if I started another relationship."

The female Asgardian smiled at the man before her. She was very lucky to have found such a man who thought so much of her. "Thank you for taking my feelings into consideration, but you should know that love has no boundaries, and you shouldn't limit yours just because you base what a relationship should be with the views of the rest of the world."

Naruto looked at the woman for a solid minute. She made a valid point. He shouldn't make a decision based on the views of what others consider to be tradition. That was just asking for misery. Then again, he did have to remind himself that he was dealing with a being of higher power here who had her own views on what love, and a relationship, should be. He sighed.

"When did you become so knowledgeable on the subject of love anyways?" It was honestly jarring.

"I gained such insight and wisdom from the embodiment of love, Mistress Love."

The shinobi's breath got caught in his throat at the mention of the cosmic entity, and he looked at the woman sharply. Any time one of _them_ is involved, it's usually for a reason, and most of the time it ends up screwing someone, badly.

"Why did she contact you?"

"To impart me with knowledge." she replied. "I had many questions that I did not have answers to."

"Did she say anything else?"

Brünhilde nodded. "Yes. Love will be the key to victory."

The former director of SHIELD was stumped. He didn't know what that cryptic message was supposed to mean! Had the cosmic entity foreseen something happening in the future that involved love? A major headache was coming, he could feel it. He decided to resume his previous conversation. Hopefully that would distract him for a bit.

"Would you not have a problem if you saw me with another?" he asked.

"Love works in different ways for different people." she answered. "And what do I have to be jealous about? That you're sleeping with another who isn't me yet who loves you as much as I? Or the fact that we won't always be together because of our responsibilities?" she questioned.

"...The way your describing it makes our relationship seem one-sided. As if everything is about me."

Valkyrie blushed. "Apologies. That was not my intention. I am merely trying to prove a point." She told him. "Anyways, do you know the answers to my questions?"

He didn't answer.

"It is because I am secure in how I feel about you." she answered. "I strongly feel this way because of all the things we've been through together. From the first time we met in Germany, and made love, to the time when I witnessed you lose your first child, then when you helped me with John Dark, and just recently when we assisted Thor."

The super-soldier leaned back in his chair. Those first few mentions of hers were such a long time ago now. He looked into her eyes. "How can you feel so secure when we've only ever met a few days out of the years?"

"It's true we may have only met a few times," she nodded. "But it was those moments that shaped how I felt about you." she said. "In a way, our short time together was good. It forced each of us to see the other for what we really are, which allowed us to cultivate what we have now." she concluded. It's only been strengthened these past few months when they learned even more about one another.

Naruto let out a sigh. Brünhilde may be correct on some of her points, but she forgot to include a key factor. Human jealousy. Just because the Valkyrie felt secure in her feelings didn't mean someone else would. Humanity isn't as black and white as she's painting them out to be. He should know, he was part of it, as was Jessica. Who knows how she would feel knowing he was seeing another woman aside from her? Or vice versa for that matter.

 _Bzzt! Bzzt!_

His phone vibrated in his pocket.

"Give me a moment."

Taking his phone out, he looked at the screen, and his eyes narrowed. Someone had tripped the silent alarm in his Manhattan penthouse, which was odd in of itself. Maya was supposed to be there. Elektra was still out searching for leads. The fact that the deaf woman had yet to contact him was also odd. Which meant one of two things. Either she misplaced her phone, or the situation she was dealing with was more than it appeared. He sent her a text.

No response.

He looked at Brünhilde.

"I need to go."

"Why?"

"There may be potential intruders in my Manhattan penthouse, and because Maya has yet to respond to my message."

Brünhilde knew of both Maya and Elektra, and she approved of him helping them. That, and she was always glad to see more women take up a sword or shield. She nodded.

"I will remain with Jessica, and checkup on Laura occasionally."

"Thank you."

He vanished.

* * *

Quickly arriving in his home, the first thing he noticed was the heavy stench of blood that permeated the premises. Quietly entering the living room, what caught his immediate attention was not all of the broken furniture, but the dead body lying in the center of the room. Though it was not just any body.

It belonged to a member of the Hand.

"Sonuvabitch." he cursed softly. "It seems they were correct all along."

His eyes spotted a trail of blood from the corpse leading to a broken window, and towards one of the buildings across from him. The fact that it was twenty twenty feet across didn't faze him. He was dealing with shinobi here after all. Unsealing a scroll on his forearm, he removed his gear, and began to get changed.

"Let's see if this new generation of Hand ninja know the name Kagebōshi."

* * *

 _ **End Chapter Fifteen**_

* * *

 _ **Review**_


	16. Chapter 16

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **Thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. You helped put this story over the four hundred review mark. So thank you! Onto other news. Apologies for not posting anything in awhile, but with my grandmothers 50th anniversary, and 100% Mass Effect: Andromeda, updating was the last thing on my mind. However, those of you who are still reading will be happy to know that I have chapters 17, 18, and 19 complete. They just need to be edited. Expect the next chapter next week Friday.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

 _Promptly arriving in his Manhattan penthouse, the first thing he noticed was the heavy stench of blood that permeated the premises. Quietly entering the living area, what caught his immediate attention was not all the broken furniture, or even all the blood splatter, but the dead body lying in the center of the room. Though it wasn't regular body._

 _It belonged to a member of the Hand._

" _Sonuvabitch." he cursed softly. "They were right all along."_

 _Following the trail of blood from the corpse, it led his eyes to a broken window, and towards one of the buildings opposite his home. The fact it was twenty-feet across didn't faze him one bit. He was dealing with ninja here after all. Unsealing a scroll on his forearm, he removed his gear, and began to change._

' _Let's see if this new generation of Hand ninja know the name Kagebōshi.'_

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

The super-soldier was currently standing atop an abandoned building in the Meatpacking district, and he couldn't believe his eyes. He blinked once, twice, thrice. What he expected was a squad, something small. Not a damn platoon. There were just over thirty or so bodies on the building opposite his.

Had he truly been so blind to not notice their return after so many years? Had peace and family dulled his sense of awareness? He shook his head, and promised to punch himself for even insinuating such a thing.

' _Perhaps whoever leads the Hand now has wizened up and changed the ways of old?'_

Whether this was true or not was irrelevant, they were here, and that's all that mattered. He'd already come close to destroying them once before, he could do it again. Though this time, he would be having help.

Elektra and Maya were present of course, but so were a few others. Though only two in particular had his eye. The first was a man who's name he'd heard whispered about in the mean streets of New York. Daredevil. A vigilante running around Hell's Kitchen, among other places, and the man was cleaning house.

He'd never seen the man before tonight, so he didn't really know much about the vigilante outside of what most media outlets were writing and reporting. Most of the populace held mixed feelings about the man, not sure what to think about him. He didn't. In fact, he respected the man under the mask. The man in the devil outfit, which he could see was armored, is a man of the people, and helped the little guy when no one else would.

That alone had his respect. He often tried to emulate the vigilante's actions of helping the little guy out as well, but more often than not, he was always involved in matters of national, or world, security. It's unfortunate, but he couldn't help the little guy out as much as he wanted, especially since he used to be one.

His attention shifted to the other combatants. Aside from the aforementioned three, and the other who caught his eye, there was another who caught his attention. Judging by the fact he moved like one of the Hand, yet was opposing them, it was safe to presume this was a member of the Chaste, but also it's leader as everyone looked to him. This was Stick.

' _He's much older than I expected.'_

Moving on from the old man, he focused his attention on the second person of interest that had caught his eye. Out of everyone present, perhaps excluding Elektra and Maya, he knew this man best, and the only reason for that is because he had at one point been in consideration to join SHIELD.

His name, Frank Castle.

The man's name had been removed from the list of applicants when he suddenly vanished off the face of the planet. At the time, many in the organization thought the man dead, but he proved them all wrong. He resurfaced one day years later, a changed man. Then again, having your entire family slaughtered in front of you did that to a man.

The blonde would never admit it to anyone, at least on record, but he felt he was staring into a mirror the longer he stared at Castle killing shinobi with his sniper rifle. He to lost a woman he thought he knew, a baby, and then Sarah. It was his daughter who kept him on the straight and narrow, and from becoming what Frank was slowly transforming into.

A man who wasn't going to stop in his crusade to rid the world of evil.

He and Fury had privately discussed what to do about the man when they learned he was back on the scene, and learned he was responsible for killing most members of the Irish Mob, Mexican Cartel, and Dogs of Hell. Initially, they were going to bring him in, and find a use for that aggression of his, but the idea was pushed aside. It just wasn't feasible. Not only would the man be a bad image for SHIELD, but he was unpredictable, and that's something that could not be afforded on missions.

Another option was thrown around, and that was persecuting him for his crimes. That was tossed out of the window as well. If they were to place Castle on trial, which he would lose, and then send him to a state prison, chances were high he would start killing inmates. Which is precisely what those who put him on the inside wanted him to stop doing on the outside. Placing him in a SHIELD facility was on the table, but that wouldn't work either. Not because they couldn't contain him, or stop him from killing inmates, but because it was a waste of space. Space that could've been used to house a terrorist or a superhuman.

It was eventually agreed upon that they would simply just monitor the man, more so Fury than him, but that also didn't mean they were going to go out of their way to stop him either. While he would never be apart of SHIELD, that didn't mean the man couldn't work for them, albeit unknowingly. A well placed piece of information here, a well placed piece of information here, sit back, and let the man work. A real hands off approach.

Admittedly, there were some inherent risks with this method. When they weren't supplying the man with intel, he could mistakenly kill someone they planned on using in the future, completely destroying any and all plans they had for a future operation. Additionally, they risked being crucified by the powers that be, and their subordinates, for choosing this route, let alone if Castle finds out. They'd have to be very careful in how they guided Frank on his vendetta.

He shook his head. He was thinking far too much about something that wasn't dealing with the current situation in front of him. Navigating the slippery slope of morals aside, it was high time he made his appearance, because as much as he enjoyed watching Elektra and Maya kick ass, he still had a job to do here.

* * *

Elektra and Maya were both looking on with wide eyes while Daredevil's mouth was agape in shock. The trio had been battling the Hand for minutes now, though what felt like hours, and all three of them knew that coming into this battle, the chances of them surviving were slim to none, but they were oddly okay with that.

Reason being because two of them had made up with their former master, and the third was once more fighting alongside a man who had become like a second father to him. That demeanor of theirs shifted south the moment they witnessed, and heard, that very same man seemingly die protecting one of them just as they were about to be stabbed in the heart.

A quiet lull permeated the battlefield as Elektra knelt down next to the man who had first given her a purpose. Who told her she could be more than just a weapon. "...Why?"

Stick coughed up a bit of blood. "Damn if I don't know myself." he replied, an unbidden memory of the past playing in his head of when he first brought this very same girl into his organization. "Maybe it's cause you're the daughter I never had."

Elektra chuckled weakly. "Don't get sentimental on me, Stick. You're not very good at it."

The old blind man chuckled in response, clearly agreeing with her statement. He never was one for the sentimental bullshit, but maybe just for today, he could indulge a bit. He managed to turn as far as he could, and looked at Maya and Matt.

"Same goes for the two of you." he admitted, coughing a bit. "...I could never be what the three of you wanted, and needed, me to be." he said. "I just didn't know how, and for that I'm sorry." Stick let out a chuckle. If he had known saying this to the three of them would have shut them up while he trained them, he would have said it to them as children long ago. "See ya later, Ellie, Maya, Matty."

Shinobi that were close to the man, and heard his words, scoffed, but only one commented on it. "He learned many of our ways from one of our own, yet he was still a sentimental old fool till the end.

Before any one of the trio, who were within striking distance of the ninja who spoke, could do anything to retaliate, a voice interrupted them.

"It's never wise to belittle the dead, or their last moments."

Everyone's head snapped over in the direction of the voice, and towards the lone water-tower that was on the roof they were all standing on. Standing there was the imposing figure of Naruto, who noted that while all Hand shinobi tensed at his sudden appearance, all seemed to recognize him as well.

' _How interesting.'_

If he were being honest, he'd have thought the organization wanted to keep quiet about what he did to them in the past by rooting out and destroying all evidence of him ever being in the Hand. Not spread it to a new generation. So either the man in charge didn't care about the past, or everyone in front of him was in fact not a new batch of shinobi, but an older, much more experienced, group. His money was on the latter.

"It's the Betrayer."

The super-soldier ignored their whispering and looked down at the recently deceased. He would never admit it, nor would he ever deny it, but he intentionally waited to see what his fate would be. Normally, he wouldn't have hesitated to help, then again, this wasn't just anyone either. This was a man who knew much about his sordid past. He suddenly frowned behind his mask, and transported the body away into his pocket dimension, startling the others.

"Who are you!?" questioned Daredevil, the first to react. "And what did you do with Stick's body!?"

"...Who I am isn't important, and I transported the body out of harms way. You'll see it again." Naruto had been wondering why this man's movements were so erratic as he watched him fight, and now he knew why from talking to him. The man was blind! The Devil of Hell's Kitchen just kept getting more impressive by the minute. "Rest assured, I'm not your enemy. I'm just here to finish something I started long ago."

"Funny, we're also here to erase our biggest mistake as well." said the lead Hand shinobi.

With no more to be said between the two, the super-soldier wasted no time, disappearing from the view of all those present only to appear in the midst of a group of Hand ninja, and got to work. Unsheathing his kōdachi, the first shinobi was dead before they even knew what happened, as was the second, and the third. He was simply moving to fast for any of them to follow.

* * *

Matt could only hear one sound, and it was the same every time. Bodies hitting the ground. He couldn't locate the man he had just been speaking with. He tried listening for his heartbeat, but soon came face to face with the same wall from before when he couldn't hear one. He needed to try something else.

* * *

Castle couldn't believe what he was seeing through his scope, even less with his own two eyes. He knew there were people like Stark, and that green goliath from Central Park, but he's never quite seen a man like this before.

He's been a soldier for a long time, and he's had the honor of serving with some of the most talented men and women in their respective fields of combat, but none held a candle to this man. Though it was not his prowess on the field of battle that had him on edge as he watched the man contort his body in unimaginable angles to kill two men. The fact that he hadn't known the man was in the area, let alone twenty yards away, was what made him the most dangerous person here.

He would need to keep his scope trained on this one as well.

* * *

Elektra and Maya were equally just as mesmerized and captivated as Castle was. They had of course heard stories of what this man could do, but actually seeing him in action was something else entirely. There were no wasted movements as he flowed from one target to the next, seemingly knowing where the next attack was coming from before the attacker did. It was breathtaking.

Unbeknownst to them, or Daredevil, three figures appeared behind them, grabbing hold of them, and leaping away just as the two women watched a number of blades impale the blonde. The shock didn't last very long as the blonde suddenly exploded in a shower of water, drenching all those near him. In the next instant, several more blondes suddenly appeared, each attacking and then exploding in the same fashion from before. The entire roof was covered in water, as were most Hand ninja.

 **"** _ **Raiton: Jibashi(Electromagnetic Murder)!"**_

Everyone present heard the voice, and only one other person aside from the caster actually understood what it meant, but before this person could warn his comrades, it was already over. A small, but very powerful, current of electricity suddenly sparked to life, and the moment it made contact with the water in the area, it spread like a disease, frying the insides of all those still standing on the roof.

In just a matter of seconds, the entire platoon brought from Japan was decimated, and by one man no less. The Jōnin in charge of this operation wasn't pleased, but he was no fool either. Living in America for the past few years, and studying anyone with abilities not only made him more aware of the fact he was outclassed, but more than that, it taught him that there was no shame in retreating. As the old saying goes, live today, fight tomorrow.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Unfortunately, tactical retreats only succeeded when you were dealing with an enemy of equal status, and who couldn't move at superhuman speeds. He felt himself get snatched out of the air, and thrown to the ground with so much force that the air was knocked out of his lungs. Struggling to get air into his lungs, he somehow managed to look up at the Hand's greatest shame.

"You weren't trying to leave before you and I could have a heart to heart chat, were you?"

"The others are escaping!"

From out the corner of his eye, the super-soldier spotted his two students, plus devil, being brought to him by his clones. It was Elektra who spoke, and true to her words, he could in fact see a few shinobi fleeing. Either they were extremely sturdy, or they were incredibly lucky, and standing in the right place at the right time. Judging by the fact only two survived, he was inclined to believe it was the latter.

"They can wait." he responded. "We just caught us the head of a snake."

"Hahahaha!" The blonde raised a brow. Never did he once believe he would ever hear a Hand shinobi laugh. He'd thought them incapable of human emotion. It was quite jarring to be honest. "If you truly believe I am a head, then none of you stand a chance against us."

Naruto crouched down next to him. "Do you truly think me so naive?" he questioned him. "Of course I know you aren't at the top of the totem. What leader would willingly place themselves in the unfamiliar of his enemy? No, you my friend are the key to helping us locate those who are truly in charge."

"I'd rather die than give you anything."

The blonde nodded. "Yes, I imagine you would, but you aren't going to have much of a choice." he told the man. "You're going to give me what I want, even if I have to break you to get it."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Oh? The blonde faced the only other male near him. Matthew hadn't say anything to the man when he was killing the others as he was still reeling from the shock of Stick dying, but his head was somewhat clear now, and he couldn't allow the man in front of him to continue with this plan of his.

"Really now? Then what do you propose we do with him then?" asked Naruto. "Hand him over to the authorities? Place him in front of a judge and jury?"

"It'd be a start."

Naruto couldn't help himself, he shook his head in disappointment. "Did you truly learn nothing while under that man's tutelage?" He hated bringing up the man, since he just died, but it needed to be said.

He may not have been fond of the man known as Stick, and the unknown he represented, but he could at least respect his skill and know-how of how the world really worked. Of which it seems he did not pass down to the devil, another he'd taught if their emotional farewell was anything to go by.

The man without fear frowned heavily when he heard that. He couldn't even find himself to be angry at the unknown man for saying it. It was true after all. Stick told him that story, and what he said was going on, but he didn't believe him, and now the man was dead. He heard the disappointment in the unknown man's voice, but he couldn't bring himself to care, not when his own hung over him.

"...What do you plan on doing with him once you've gotten your information?"

The super-soldier looked at him oddly. "I'm going to kill him." What else was he going to do with him?

"Then you're going to have to go through me to do it." Even if Stick was gone because of something he did, or didn't do, he wasn't going to change who he was.

"Hm-mm, that's noble of you, stupid, but noble." stated the blonde. "Why are you willing to go to such lengths for a man who nearly killed one of the two women next to you, and who did kill Stick, along with who knows how many others?"

"...Because we have to be better than him." replied Daredevil, finally.

"I don't have to be better than anyone. I know where I stand. If you want to embrace this philosophy of being better than men like this, then be my guest." said Naruto. "I'll even let you in on a little secret. The world, the real world, is going to test that resolve of yours. It isn't the sort of place where we can always pick and choose which ideals to follow. Sometimes the choices we're given aren't choices at all."

"There's always another choice. You just have to find it."

The blonde shinobi cracked a small smile behind his mask. He was all to familiar with that statement of his. "Agreed." he conceded. "Let me ask you something. When you put on the gear, what do you see yourself as? A vigilante? Perhaps a hero?" Daredevil remained silent. "Let me tell you what I see. I see a man who's confused, and who doesn't know what side of the line he falls on."

"That's not true-"

"But it is." pressed the blonde. "You want to help those in need, but you don't know how to go about it." The man was clearly confused. Did he continue as he was? Or walk down a different path?

"Then what does that make you?"

"Me?...I'm a soldier." answered the blonde. "Like I said earlier. I know where I stand. Every time I put on the mask, and do the things I do, is so others won't have to. So they won't have to suffer like I have, sacrifice like I have, kill like I have. Let me ask you something else. Do you think I enjoy taking a life?"

Matthew looked at where the man was, and he still couldn't get a feel for him, but he could hear it in his voice loud and clear. "No, you don't."

Naruto nodded. "That's right. I don't, and I try not to, but I do it so men like our dear friend here can't hurt others." he said. "My hands should be the only hands that need to have blood on them." Things grew quiet, and the blonde sighed. He'd gone off on a tangent. "What I'm trying to say is this. It's all about perspective. What may be right to me, may be wrong to you, and vice versa, but it all leads to the same objective."

"And what's that?"

"Peace." He may not have been able to see much of Daredevil's face, but he could sense the man was confused. Perhaps he didn't word it correctly? "Let me ask you another question. Why do you do the things you do? Is it for the rush and excitement? Glory? Perhaps self satisfaction?"

"No. I do it so I can help those who can't protect themselves."

"Then why is what I'm saying such a hard concept for you to understand?" he inquired. "I realize the concept of peace can be broad, and interpreted differently by multiple people, but everything I do, what you do, falls under the same overarching umbrella. We just go about achieving it in different ways."

"...I don't know if I'd ever be able to do the things you do." whispered the blind man.

"I'm not asking you to." responded the former director of SHIELD. "I'm just asking you to see things from my point of view." he said. "That sometimes, in order to protect the innocent, we may have to do unspeakable things."

"I...I need time to think over everything."

"Take all the time you need, kid." he said. "You're not the first person to question themselves, and you certainly won't be the last, nor are you going to come to a decision on where you stand in the world in one night." Naruto watched Elektra take a seat next to the blind man, and began speaking to him as if they were old friends. He shook his head. Whatever they had going on was none of his business. Maya approached.

 _(What of the sniper who was assisting us?)_

The super-soldier had seen Castle flee the scene once he saw him summon lightning and roast all of the ninja. He was probably long gone by now, but he had no doubt the man would resurface again one day.

 _(Lone gone.)_ he replied. _(Hopefully he'll track down those Hand ninja who escaped.)_

 _(And if he doesn't?)_

 _(Then we'll do it ourselves.)_ he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She nodded. The blonde turned his full attention to his captive, who was glaring at him. Adding chakra to his eyes, his sharingan came to life. He took a knee. "Now then. We'll start off with something simple. How many more of there are you, and where can I find them?"

* * *

– _**A Few Hours Later –**_

After the incident involving the organization from his past, and extracting information from the mind of the Jōnin, which was plentiful, he finally returned to Jessica's side. Unfortunately, seeing as he took longer than intended, it was now morning, or close to it, and that meant the possibility of Jessica being awake was very high. As he stepped out of his portal, he suddenly paused. Turning his head, he found himself looking into Jessica's green eyes.

"...Good morning."

She blinked a few times. "Morning."

He sighed internally. Despite Jessica having seen him without his mask on, he still felt uncomfortable showing this side of himself to her. Not because he was worried she'd talk, but because every time he looked at her, he still saw that same little girl he'd met all those years ago, and he didn't want to put her in a similar situation like the last one.

"That's a nifty ability you've got there." she commented.

"Yep."

Silence permeated the room as Jessica looked down at her hands awkwardly. Talking about this was a lot harder than she initially thought. She sighed internally, and decided to just pull the bandage off.

"So, where did you go?"

Naruto remained silent as he contemplated what to say. He could lie to her, but then mentally shook his head. That was a bad idea. He wanted her to trust him. Telling her the truth is an option, though maybe not in it's entirety? The blonde nodded to himself. Half-truths it is then.

"I had to take care of some business from my past."

"I see." Jessica suddenly looked him square in the eyes. "...So you're like Captain America then?"

There it was. The question that would inevitably lead her down a rabbit hole. It also just answered a question of his. He had wondered just how much she had seen of him when he and his team had saved her from Hydra. Apparently it was a lot.

If he recalled, the history books never claimed Steve a super-soldier, just a human at the peak of his physical condition. The experiment was a secret after all. So just why had she made a comparison if it was never made public knowledge? Was it a coincidence? He shook his head. Nothing in his profession is ever coincidence. He had to conceal a small smile though. Jessica had no idea how close to home she nearly came with that question of hers.

"Just what do you know about Captain America?"

Jessica shrugged. "Just what the history books say." she replied. "And what my parents and I used to talk about."

Ah, now he understood. Her parents were the culprits. He wasn't mad or upset at them for talking, far from it. He was just curious as to how she knew such sensitive information.

"To answer your question, yeah, I am like Captain America, only better."

"That's pretty cool."

Were the atmosphere in the room not so tense, he would have snorted. How he would have loved even an ounce of her enthusiasm back in the forties when he first got these abilities. The room grew quiet again.

"I've come to a decision."

"About what?"

"My future."

"Oh? Do tell?" The blonde would've thought she'd taken longer than a few days to make one.

She looked him in the eyes again. "You're right. How I proceed from this point forward will define who I am in the future." she repeated his previous statement from a few hours ago. "I want to be just like you." she said. "I want to help people so that they never have to go what I went through."

The super-soldier stared right back into her eyes, and nodded to himself. She hadn't made this decision lightly. He could see the fire burning behind them. "Good choice." he said. He was already planning on teaching her how to use her powers so as to not hurt herself, or others anyways. Her decision just now was going to make the whole process proceed smoother. "I'll talk to the man in charge and see about enlisting you in SHIELD, as part of my unit." It wasn't going to be hard, especially considering she had powers. She was all but assured a spot.

Jessica looked at him confused for a second. "SHIELD? What's that?"

"It's an international peace keeping task force that I do work for, and where you're currently receiving medical treatment." he answered.

The young-woman in bed actually looked around for the first time. Her blonde friend was right. How is it that she had never noticed this wasn't a normal hospital room? She shook her head. Current location notwithstanding, that wasn't what was important here.

' _International peace keeping task force...'_

The words in the name just didn't sound like they went together, nor could she wrap her head around the fact that the man she thought she knew was actually apart of it. She didn't know what was more shocking, the fact he had abilities, or the fact he was some type of secret agent working for a secret organization she had never heard of. Something suddenly clicked in her head.

"Every time you called me to babysit Laura, it was because of this organization, wasn't it?"

Naruto tapped his nose. "Got it in one. I've been apart of SHIELD for a very, very, long time now."

Jessica's brows furrowed in concentration for a moment as his last comment stood out the most out of everything else he's said. Her face became blank all of a sudden when a hard realization set in. She didn't know all that much about the man sitting beside her, abilities notwithstanding. Her parents had known him for a long period of time, but even they never really talked all that much about him. Come to think of it, just how old was he if her parents knew him when he was young? Recalling from memory long since past, she realized his youthful appearance had never changed. She looked at him.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

She nodded. "As a matter of fact yeah. I just realized that I don't know all that much about you."

He raised a brow. "What do you wanna know?"

"How old are you?"

"Biologically, I'm twenty-two." he answered, as that was when he first received both formulas. "But if you want to get technical about it, then I'm actually eighty-two."

"Uh-huh." She obviously didn't believe him.

"It's true!" he exclaimed. "Look, due to the nature of how I...acquired my abilities, I age much, much, slower compared to the average human, which is why I currently look the way I do."

"And just how did you acquire them?"

"It's a bit personal, so I'd rather not say."

And just like that, the somewhat open conversation and nice atmosphere they had going on took a sour turn. "Sorry." she muttered, and decided to change the subject. "What can you tell me about yourself then?"

"What? Me personally?" She nodded. "Hm-mm, let's see..." Naruto thought for a second. "Well, I was born and raised in Brooklyn, I own the Los Angeles Dodgers, and I have an older brother. Though he's currently...incapacitated. I also go by the name Naruto Uzumaki."

Owning a sports team didn't surprise her as much as his last statement. "Why? That's not your name."

"Due to the same circumstances of how I acquired my abilities, I also learned somethings about myself that even I didn't know." he explained. "I'll tell you about it one day."

Jessica raised a delicate eyebrow, but decided not to question him about it. "Is your brother like you?"

"Yeah, he is, but we're completely different people." he answered. "For instance, he isn't as handsome as I am." he said, winking at her, making her grin.

"What about your parent's?"

"Both of 'em were war veterans."

She waited to see if he was going to continue, he didn't. Seeing as the mood was taking yet another turn for the worst, she quickly changed the subject again.

"So when can I start helping people?"

"When you've got some training under your belt." he answered.

"And when is that gonna happen?"

"When you're released from the med-bay." he said. "I'm going to train you myself."

Jessica grinned. "Can't wait." Naruto chuckled a little. "What's so funny?"

"I'm gonna tell you something I tell all my students, and what I was told when I was training."

"And that is?"

"During our time together, I'm going to be your best friend, your confidant, and the sonuvabitch who's going to push you past your limits."

* * *

– _**One Month Later –**_

* * *

 _ **December 17th, 2002**_

"C'mon, stop trying to hit me and hit me!"

Jessica grit her teeth in frustration. It had been little over a month since she'd been released from the med-bay and started training under the blonde. Following in the footsteps of her trainer couldn't have started any better than it did. She was accepted into SHIELD, but more importantly than that, she had been accepted by those who were in Naruto's unit, and by those outside of it.

Hawkeye, or Clint, as he wished to be called by her, is a nice man, and very helpful whenever she had questions about things she didn't understand. He's also a big flirt, and would often hit on her despite being in a relationship already.

The person he was currently seeing also happened to be one of her teammates, whom she looked up to like an older sister. Mockingbird, or Barbara, as she liked to be called off-duty, is also very helpful, but more so when it came to just talking, as there were things only women could talk to each other about. Though it was a pleasant surprise to learn she's also a biochemist, making the fact that they both liked science another thing they have in common, aside from the obvious.

While it was easy to accept Clint and Barbara, she could not say the same for Brünhilde, Elektra, and Maya, at least not in the beginning, despite the three of them accepting her. It's a tough pill to swallow knowing that the man you have feelings for is living with three beautiful, scantily clad, women. Even more so when you have no clue if any of them have slept with him yet.

For her state of mind, and since she was an adult, she decided it was just safer to assume that they had all slept with him already. With that in mind, it made it easier for her to move into the house with them. She had spoken to the blonde about this arrangement, and he allowed it. Sure she wanted to be as close to him as possible, but more importantly, she didn't want to be alone. Her parent's house was just too big for one person, and it held too many memories.

So as it stood, she was sharing a home with five other people. Well, four actually. Elektra was currently out of the house, on a mission, and a long one at that since she hasn't seen the her since she left over a month ago. Maya was set to join her, but instead decided to remain behind so as to assist Naruto with anything he might need.

Despite having three other females living in the same house, she only really saw Brünhilde as a rival of sorts for the blonde's attention. It was easy to see. What with the way she looks at him, the way she acts around him, even the way she dresses. She didn't care if the woman is considered a goddess. Which is still just as shocking to think about today as it was when she first learned about it. The only plus about her being a goddess is that she had responsibilities that took her out of the house for very long periods of time.

"You're faster than this!" She was snapped out of her thoughts by the loud blonde in her face. "Don't think you are, know you are!" he lectured.

Up above on the catwalk stood Nick Fury and Clint Barton. The duo, along with most of the men and women in the gym, were watching yet another training session in which the blonde thrashed a student of his. Clint subconsciously rubbed his side as he watched Jessica take a shot to the ribs. The archer leaned on the railing.

"Think I got a shot with her?"

Fury looked at the man to his right. "Aren't you already seeing someone?" Not that he cared if the man was cheating, as long as it didn't affect his performance on a mission, that's all that mattered.

"Yeah, but Barbara knows I'm prone to wandering." replied Clint. "And as long as I come back to her in the end, it's fine." he said. "She's the exact same. It's why our relationship works."

Nick shook his head. It was simpler in the old days. "To answer your question, no, I don't believe you have a shot." he stated. "Even with one eye, I can see that the woman down there isn't looking at anyone other than the man in front of her."

And that's what was worrying the current director of SHIELD. When the blonde first brought this to his attention, he didn't like it. It was Stark all over again. He wanted to avoid that situation from repeating itself if he could, not because he was afraid of her telling the world she had powers, but because she would only be loyal to the blonde, and not SHIELD, but more importantly, not loyal to him.

Stark was loyal to no one but himself, which is the best he could hope for as he could still order the man around to help when threats needed his attention. It wasn't going to be the same for the young-woman down below him. She would always look to the blonde first for direction, despite him no longer being the director of the organization.

The girl is also an unknown, he didn't like unknowns, especially not when they were in his organization all of a sudden. Still, he trusted the blonde more than anyone else on the planet, aside from himself of course, so he let her in. So far, she's proven she can be trusted. It remained to be seen how she would do on missions though.

Barton sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right."

 _Bzzt! Bzzt!_

Nick tapped his earpiece. _[Fury here. Go ahead.]_

 _[Sir, we've finally managed to triangulate the signal of the person, or persons, who have been hacking our systems.]_

 _[Good work.]_ he said. _[Have the information on standby for the team I send to you.]_

 _[Copy that sir.]_

"Uzumaki." Hearing his name called, he stopped Jessica mid-strike. The blonde looked up at the catwalk. "I got a mission for your unit that'll help get the rookie's feet wet."

* * *

 _ **Koreatown, Manhattan**_

"Will the three of you settle down." Naruto sighed. Just behind him were Mockingbird, Hawkeye, and the newly dubbed Spider-Woman, as Jessica's powers were akin to that of a spiders, as he'd learned when training her. The quartet were in front of an apartment door. "We aren't here to bust anyone."

"Yeah," conceded Barbara. "But this isn't something we usually do either, at least Clint and I don't."

"Sorry guys. I guess my nervousness is rubbing off on everyone." muttered Jessica.

Naruto waved off her apology. "Don't worry about it. First time jitters are normal." he said. "Just stay calm, and keep a clear head. Remember those two things, and you'll do fine." She nodded. "Are the three of you ready?"

They all nodded.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Coming!" All of them heard the voice and the encroaching footsteps drawing closer and closer when the door opened. On the otherside was a beautiful Korean woman. "Can I help-" She paused mid-question when she got a good look at who was at her door. While three of them wore a uniform of some kind, the one that really made her pause was the blonde. The bottom half of his face was covered in a cloth. "Whatever it is you're selling, I don't want it."

She made to shut the door but found that she couldn't. "I apologize if our uniforms gave you the wrong impression ma'am, but we aren't selling anything. We're with the government." explained Naruto, who knew it was his choice of clothing that made her try and shut the door in their faces. Unlike the three behind him, who were wearing the standard SHIELD uniforms and nothing to hide their faces, he was the most recognizable amongst their group. So he had to conceal his face. "A few of our servers have recently been hacked, and we traced the signal to this location. We aren't here to arrest anyone. I just want to make sure the attempts stop as they prevent us from doing our jobs."

"...Who are you with?"

"SHIELD."

The beautiful Korean woman grimaced. She knew who they were. Anyone who worked in her field knew this organization. She sighed. "Please come in." After letting them in, she guided them into her kitchen and sat them at the table. "My name is Helen Cho, and I know who the perpetrator is."

"Who?"

"My son."

"Do you know where he currently is?" inquired Naruto.

Helen nodded. "Yes. In his room. Let me get him for you."

"Thanks. That'd be much appreciated-"

"Amadeus Cho!" She startled the quartet with her sudden shouting. "Get your butt in here this instant young-man!" she ordered, and then looked at the government agents. "Would anyone care for a cup of water?"

They all politely declined as soon as their hearing returned. "So, what do you do, Ms. Cho?" asked Jessica.

"I'm an aspiring scientist."

Now that grabbed Naruto's attention. "What field do you work in?"

"Genetics, engineering, medicine."

"All three?" questioned Barbara, now very interested in this conversation as well.

Helen nodded. "Yes. For what I wish to create in the future, I must be proficient in all three."

"And what exactly do you wish to create?"

"I have plans to create a machine, a medical device, that can heal wounds by grafting a simulacrum of organic tissue to a patient, and have it bond to the patient's cells." she said. "I call it the Regeneration Cradle."

"Would it only be able to graft organic tissue? What about synthetic tissue?"

The Korean woman took a thinking pose, and slowly nodded. "I suppose it's possible, but I wouldn't be able to tell you if it actually works since I don't have the proper resources at my disposal to create it."

"I see. How far along are you then?"

"Not very." she answered.

"Would you like the opportunity to try and see what you can do with as many resources as you want?"

Helen looked at him oddly, but nodded all the same. "I would love the chance, but no one will give me one." Not because she was a woman, or Korean, but because many considered her idea nothing more than a pipe dream.

Naruto reached into his pocket, pulled out a small card, and handed it to her. "That there is for your eyes only. Don't let anyone else see it. Call that number and tell them the name on the card sent you."

The woman looked at the card, and her eyes widened. Her head bolted right back up to look at the man who just gave her the card, and he nodded. She had no idea someone like him would be with SHIELD. Normally, he wouldn't be so open with his identity while working as an agent, but he didn't get where he was as a businessman without taking a few risks.

"Thank you." she bowed her head. She then remembered why they came here again. "Amadeus Cho!"

"Would it be alright if we spoke to him in his room?"

Helen nodded. "It's the second door on the right." The group thanked her, and proceeded towards the door. They knocked, but no response was given. They tried once more only for the same result. "Just head inside." said Helen. "He probably can't hear us anyways."

Wondering what she meant by that, Naruto opened the door, and was immediately blasted with freezing cold air in the face. Pushing past it, he stepped inside and got a good look at the room. It was a decent size, but it's what was inside that made him pause for a moment. There was all sorts of electronics laid about, mostly computer monitors and whatnot, and at the heart of it all was a boy. The others followed him in.

"Why's it so cold in here?" questioned Jessica rubbing her arms.

"To keep the equipment from overheating, duh." answered the boy, not even looking at them.

The parent in Naruto wanted to scold the kid for the smartass reply, but held himself in check. Not only was this not his kid, but he was on a mission.

"Ever heard the saying be respectful to your elders, brat!" scolded Mockingbird, who unlike her fellow blonde, could not hold herself in check, especially when the kid mouthed off to her newest friend.

The kid actually turned around from the screen in front of him, and it was only looking at his youthful face that the group realized just how young he really was. His stature helped in that regard, but seeing his face only cemented it. Kid couldn't have been any older than eight.

Amadeus looked down at her chest. "You're not sagging, so clearly you aren't my elder, so ha!"

Clint had to hold Bobbi back from wringing the kid's neck. "Just wait till I get my hands on you!"

Naruto sighed, and held up his hand, silencing her. He approached the boy. "You the one who's been hacking into SHIELD servers?"

"Maybe, who want's to know?"

"Don't get cheeky with me kid. I know it was you."

"Then why did you ask?"

"Because I want to hear you admit it."

Amadeus sighed. "Fine. Yeah, it was me."

"Why?"

The smaller Cho shrugged. "Cause I was bored."

"I see." Clearly, the boy wasn't taking the situation seriously. "You do realize that everything you've seen is considered classified, and can have you put away for a very long time."

Amadeus suddenly grinned. "What court would convict an eight year old child?" he asked. "Haven't you ever seen the movie Hackers? Zero Cool was eleven when he crashed 1,507 computer systems in a day, causing a single-day seven point drop in the New York Stock Exchange, and yeah, he was arrested for it, but never sent to prison."

Naruto nodded. "Clearly you've done your homework, but you're forgetting something. First, "Hackers" is a movie, and second, yes, it's true, they wouldn't send you to prison." he said, making Amadeus smirk. "But your mother on the other-hand..." That did the trick. That smugness from earlier was gone in an instant.

"You leave her out of this!"

No matter how smart the child in front of him was, he was still just that, a child, and he was prone to temperament changes when things stopped going his way. "Relax. I'm not sending anyone to prison today." he said. "I just wanted to make you understand that your actions could have consequences for other people besides yourself. Like say for instance hacking our servers which prevents us from helping the people."

Amadeus looked down, looking remorseful for his actions. "I'm sorry. It's just, I see a challenge, and I can't help myself."

"I understand where you're coming from. You just want to prove yourself." Amadeus nodded. An idea suddenly came to the blonde male. "...How would you like to get paid to do what you do here?"

The trio behind the blonde looked at their leader strangely, as did the little Korean boy. "What? Like hacking?"

"Hacking, or whatever else it is that you're into."

"What makes you, and your job offer different from the others?"

Now that threw the three adults behind Naruto for a loop. The boy had already received job offers from other places? After holding a conversation with him for a while now, Naruto wasn't as surprised as the three behind him.

"For one, I recently hired your mother." he said, shocking the boy.

"Who are you?"

Naruto wagged his finger. "Ah, ah, ah, you know I can't tell you that. Maybe if by the end of my pitch you decide to join her, I'll tell you. Anyways, if you work for me, then you can blast as much cold air in your office as you want, because let's be serious here. If you're as intelligent as I think you are, then you could have easily made something to circumvent the use of an air conditioner to help keep all of the equipment cool." he said. "Which leads me to believe you're using it for something else." He took a look at the two females. "You two may want to cover up, it's starting to get a bit nippy in here."

Jessica and Barbara looked at him confused before they followed his line of sight, towards their chests. Their nipples had gotten very hard, and were poking through their uniforms. They immediately covered themselves and sent a glare at all of the men, especially Amadeus.

The blonde shook his head in amusement. Despite the boy being ridiculously smart for his age, which was only going to increase the older he became, possibly reaching levels only seen by Reed or Tony, he was still a male. Granted, most males don't hit puberty, or start taking a healthy interest in the opposite sex, until they're in their teens, most also aren't as intelligent as Amadeus either, who is no doubt also maturing faster because of that big brain of his. Though judging by his initial comment about Barbara' not so sagging chest, and the whole nipple thing, you wouldn't believe it.

"Your mother knows who I am." he said. "If you're seriously considering my offer, then get the details from her, and contact me when your older. See ya later kid."

The quartet filed out of the room, bid the Korean woman goodbye, and left the apartment. They were standing outside the door.

"You aren't seriously thinking of hiring him, are you?" asked Jessica.

"Yep."

"But he's a little pervert." she stated, Barbara nodding in agreement with her.

"We're all a little perverted." responded Naruto. "Some of us just hide it better than others."

While he wholeheartedly believed what he just said, and what he thought of the boy maturing faster, he knew it wasn't just that alone that made the boy interested in the female form. The youngest Cho had a quirk. He's seen it a lot in his life, none more so than in soldiers who experienced a trauma and used it as a cover. It's possible Amadeus suffered a traumatic experience at some point, but that wasn't all that could have caused this. None of the others noticed, but every photo in the apartment was only of Helen and Amadeus. Where was the father? He wagered whatever happened to the father had a hand in why the youngest Cho acted the way he did.

"Well I don't like it."

Naruto shrugged. As much as he liked Jessica, her opinion on who he hired didn't matter. "You guys can take the rest of the day off. I'll turn the report into Fury."

Clint and Barbara did not hesitate to take him up on his offer, and vanished from sight. The only one who stayed behind was Jessica.

"Don't we have anything to do after the mission?"

"Yeah, paperwork, but that's about it." he replied. "We usually have a few hours to ourselves once we complete a mission, to unwind, and then we go back out if needed, but since you're new, we aren't going to be taking all that many missions right now."

"I see." Jessica suddenly took a deep breath, exhaled, and nodded to herself, she could do this. "Say, are you doing anything later, after you turn in the report?"

"Don't know yet."

"Well, if you're not, would you like to grab some lunch with me?"

The super-soldier opened his mouth to say something but closed it. He smiled, and nodded. "Lunch sounds wonderful."

* * *

Naruto and Jessica were currently enjoying a nice lunch at a local delicatessen.

"What was life like when you were with your parents?" asked the blonde.

He knew it was a tough question, and way out of left field considering the nice atmosphere they had going on, but he wanted to see if she had at least come to terms with the fact her parents were gone.

"...It was good." she said, a content look on her face. "I remember this one time when they took me to Walt Disney World," From what he could see, it looks like she had come to terms. He was glad. "And I threw up after riding the Matterhorn and the Teacups." She laughed like a kid, but then stopped. Her eyes widened. "I'm so sorry. I just ruined our lunch by mentioning something gross."

The blonde waved off her apology. "I've seen, and heard, worse."

"Really? Worse than that?"

He nodded, and felt his body shiver just thinking about the memory again. "Yeah. You ever change a baby's diaper. It's horrifying." he said. "I remember this one instance when Laura was still a baby. I fed her some mashed peas, she did her business, but when I opened her diaper to clean her, it smelled like a stink bomb had gone off in the house. Don't tell her I told you that though." he pleaded. "So yeah, you don't ever have to censor yourself in front of me."

She nods. "Good to know, and I promise I won't tell her."

"Thanks. She'd kill me if she ever found out I told you that." They both shared a laugh at that. "I have to admit, I'm jealous of you."

"Of me?" He nodded. "Why?" she asked. "In my opinion, it should be the other way around. Not only are you a successful businessman, but you're wealthy, powerful, and you've got a great daughter. What do I have that you're jealous of?"

"Memories." he said. "I'd trade everything I have, with the exception of Laura and my brother, just to have had the opportunity to go Disneyland or Disney World with my mom, dad, and brother." he explained.

Jessica was frowning. She felt sorry for the blonde in front of her. It'd been a little over two weeks ago when he had informed her of who he really was, the life he lived, and just who he was related to. To think that she'd been interacting with a legend all these years, and the sibling of Steve Rogers. The thought had crossed her mind at one point that maybe the two might have known one another since Naruto's age placed him in the same era, but never in her wildest dreams would she have thought them brothers. This was only compounded when he showed her Steve's body.

"I really should've taken Laura by this point, but I've always just been so busy-"

"I'll take you and Laura sometime." She blurted out. "The three of us can go sometime so the both of you can finally experience it."

He was a bit surprised at her interruption, but he appreciated the sentiment, and smiled at her. "Can't wait."

* * *

After the duo finished eating lunch, they returned home, and soon came to notice they had the entire house to themselves. A few thoughts ran through Jessica's head, but she immediately quelled them. She wasn't ready for something like that yet. She turned around to face him.

"Thanks for today." she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, and left for her room.

Naruto placed a hand on his cheek. "That's my line."

* * *

 _ **End of Chapter Sixteen**_

* * *

 _The Daredevil and Amadeus Cho scenes got away from me a bit, but hopefully I was able to somewhat get the point across of how I wanted to portray the two characters, especially in their younger years. Also, for some reason, Okamura Hiro was on my mind when I wrote the Amadeus scene. Anyways, no more of the Netflix series' are going to be coming up, although depending on how Defenders is, that one might, but only because it's dealing with the Hand._

 _Also, just in case anyone was wondering, no, he did not sleep with Elektra and Maya. The thought had crossed my mind, but in the end I decided not to go through with it._


	17. Chapter 17

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _ **I know I said I would post this chapter Friday(Weeks Ago), but there was just something that seemed off to me about this chapter. Since then I've been writing, and re-writing, and while I don't know if I addressed the problem I personally felt it had, continuing to hold this chapter back from release just wasn't feasible either. So I hope you enjoy the chapter that was originally 6k words, but is now what it is after all the re-writes. Also, be aware there might be an info dump at the end of the chapter that will explain a few things that occurred in this chapter, or that I just need to explain.**_

* * *

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Marvel.**_

* * *

– _**Previously –**_

* * *

 _Naruto and Jessica were currently enjoying a nice lunch at a local delicatessen._

" _What was life like when you were with your parents?" asked the blonde._

 _He knew it was a tough question, and way out of left field considering the nice atmosphere they had going on, but he wanted to see if she had at least come to terms with the fact her parents were gone._

" _...It was good." she said, a content look on her face. "I remember this one time when they took me to Walt Disney World," From what he could see, it looks like she had come to terms. He was glad. "And I threw up after riding the Matterhorn and the Teacups." She laughed like a kid, but then stopped. Her eyes widened. "I'm so sorry. I just ruined our lunch by mentioning something gross."_

 _The blonde waved off her apology. "I've seen, and heard, worse."_

" _Really? Worse than that?"_

 _He nodded, and felt his body shiver just thinking about the memory again. "Yeah. You ever change a baby's diaper. It's horrifying." he said. "I remember this one instance when Laura was still a baby. I fed her some mashed peas, she did her business, but when I opened her diaper to clean her, it smelled like a stink bomb had gone off in the house. Don't tell her I told you that though." he pleaded. "So yeah, you don't ever have to censor yourself in front of me."_

 _She nods. "Good to know, and I promise I won't tell her."_

" _Thanks. She'd kill me if she ever found out I told you that." They both shared a laugh at that. "I have to admit, I'm jealous of you."_

" _Of me?" He nodded. "Why?" she asked. "In my opinion, it should be the other way around. Not only are you a successful businessman, but you're wealthy, powerful, and you've got a great daughter. What do I have that you're jealous of?"_

" _Memories." he said. "I'd trade everything I have, with the exception of Laura and my brother, just to have had the opportunity to go Disneyland or Disney World with my mom, dad, and brother." he explained._

 _Jessica was frowning. She felt sorry for the blonde in front of her. It'd been a little over two weeks ago when he had informed her of who he really was, the life he lived, and just who he was related to. To think that she'd been interacting with a legend all these years, and the sibling of Steve Rogers. The thought had crossed her mind at one point that maybe the two might have known one another since Naruto's age placed him in the same era, but never in her wildest dreams would she have thought them brothers. This was only compounded when he showed her Steve's body._

" _I really should've taken Laura by this point, but I've always just been so busy-"_

" _I'll take you and Laura sometime." She blurted out. "The three of us can go sometime so the both of you can finally experience it."_

 _He was a bit surprised at her interruption, but he appreciated the sentiment, and smiled at her. "Can't wait."_

* * *

 _After the duo finished eating lunch, they returned home, and soon came to notice they had the entire house to themselves. A few thoughts ran through Jessica's head, but she immediately quelled them. She wasn't ready for something like that yet. She turned around to face him._

" _Thanks for today." she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek, and left for her room._

 _Naruto placed a hand on his cheek. "That's my line."_

* * *

– _**Now –**_

* * *

– _**Four Months Later –**_

* * *

 _ **17** **th** **April, 2003**_

"Increase the output."

The blonde super-soldier was currently training Jessica, though instead of focusing on the physical, he wanted to test the limits of an ability that manifested from her mutation. One he learned of the hard way. It was the use of pheromones.

Jessica nodded, and sent him a small smile, one he did not return. "Concentrate." he ordered.

The former director sighed internally. Every time she smiled at him, or looked at him with those green eyes of hers, he felt like a real piece of human scum. To his knowledge, he's never referred to himself as such before, even though it was warranted.

It's been four months, give or take a few days, since their luncheon together where she kissed him on the cheek, and at first it never went beyond that, but lately the status quo was gradually beginning to shift in another direction. Every once in awhile, he would subtly catch her looking at him from afar, and for longer than need be. Other times it was a soft touch on the hand, or a brush of the shoulder.

He's yet to inform her he was already seeing Brünhilde, and he didn't know why this was. He shook his head. That was an excuse. He knew damn well why. He didn't want to hurt her. Jessica was in a good place right now, having finally moved on from her parent's untimely deaths. He didn't want to be the one to bring her back down to reality after having risen up from that tragedy. Then again, he wanted to tell her so at the very least she could move on from him, but just how does a person even broach such a subject? And without hurting the other?

He was just so lost right now, and that's a feeling he hasn't felt in a very, very, long time. "Increase the output again." he ordered. Whatever the case, he needed to have a talk with Jessica in the future about this.

Doing as told, the younger Rogers brother watched as the two guinea pigs, Clint and Barbara, began to feel the effects. After experiencing the ability firsthand, he wanted to see how others reacted.

The SHIELD initiates that "participated" in that little science experiment of his dropped like flies, and soon began to act like mindless drones. The more seasoned agents he eventually brought in resisted the thrall, but only until Jessica overpowered their senses.

He theorized only those with strong enough wills could hold out against this ability for a long period of time. There was a discrepancy with the experiment though, or to be more accurate, with reaction to her pheromones. While the veteran agents who participated in this experiment eventually followed suit in becoming mindless drones like their juniors, they didn't start out as such. Their reaction was the exact same as his own. Attraction and arousal towards Jessica. The only difference is he was able to continue resisting.

There was something he was curious about. Were these his own feelings being forced out into the open because of the ability, or were they artificial feelings the ability was making him feel? Whatever the case, the erection in his pants didn't deter Jessica from slamming him onto the training mat at the time of discovery. Yes it hurt, but more than that, he was proud of her. She was taking to his teachings.

After the experiment was over, he began to look into the qualities certain arachnids had, just as he did with Adriana back in the day. Though he had far more tools at his disposal now than he did back then. Anyways, he learned that certain spiders could secrete pheromones that will either attract, repulse, or strike fear into another.

There was no mention of the afflicted acting like drones. So either that was a new one to be added to the list, or Jessica's pheromones were only a means to an end. He was leaning more towards the latter. Everything her pheromones did only led to one thing, complete and utter control.

With that thought in mind, the two of them worked on this ability in the coming months. Jessica slowly gained a small modicum of control over those under the effects of her ability, but in order for her to continue growing, a new test was needed. Hence why two of SHIELD's elite were in front of them.

Barton was very easy to infect if the tent in his pants were anything to go by, but very hard to control. He looked at Barbara. She was also under the influence, same as Barton, but her reaction was vastly different. It was not one of attraction, or arousal, but of fear. Either Jessica had something against her female teammate, which he highly doubted, or Jess couldn't control which pheromone she used against people, which he also doubted. They hadn't been training for nothing. It had to be something else.

"Drop the output to zero." he ordered, and approached Barbara. "How do you feel?"

"Better now."

Naruto nodded. "Good, good. How did you feel when Jessica was attempting to enthrall you?"

A grimace quickly appeared on her beautiful face. "Unpleasant. The best way I can describe it was like having that feeling of uneasiness just before you do something you've never done before. It started off slow before gradually increasing. I was able to keep it down though."

The blonde male nodded, understanding where she was coming from. When he was a child, he always had a hard time speaking in front of a large group of people. That obviously wasn't the case anymore, but the point is, he knew what she was talking about.

"I see."

"No." The blonde already knew what Barton experienced. The man was merely present to help Jessica gain more control over the pheromone that caused attraction. " Thank you both for doing this." he said. "Dismissed until further notice."

The two agents shrugged, and weren't going to argue if there were no more questions. They had other things to do. Naruto was in front of Jessica.

"Alright. Explain what you did."

Jessica nodded. "At first, I tried influencing them through attraction, but when I noticed that Barbara's reaction wasn't as strong towards me, I tried something else." Well, that explained why Bobbi received different treatment. She just wasn't as attracted to Jessica as he or the others. Which said something he may or may not have wanted to know about himself. "I tried making her submit through fear, but as you just saw, that didn't work out so well."

"It worked, but to a certain degree." he explained. "What you need is balance." he lectured, reverting back into a teacher. "You've-" His voice was drowned out by the sudden blaring of an alarm. A report soon came in through the loudspeaker.

"SHIELD HQ in Manhattan under attack from the inside! I repeat, SHIELD-"

Naruto's eyes widened in worry. That's the building that was housing Steve's body. He'd been against turning the building into an HQ, but Fury's reasoning was that he needed a base of operations when not at the Triskelion. Plus, with all of the agents and personnel he was bringing in, the more protection Steve was receiving.

"If you need a ride, I can take you on my new motorcycle!" Jessica offered quickly.

"Thanks, but I have a faster mode of transportation." He held his hand out to her.

She was momentarily taken aback but quickly got over her surprise, grabbing his outstretched hand. The two of them began to distort from reality before vanishing completely.

* * *

The two arrived in the room that was housing Steve since he'd thawed and been moved here, but found no one inside. They did find a large hole in the wall, along with a few agents sprawled out on the floor. Following the trail of agents, they were back outside again, and that's when Naruto saw him.

It was his brother. Ignoring the New York traffic, and Jessica shouting at him to be careful, he rushed after the man, and called his name.

"Steve!"

The man out of time heard his name called by a very familiar voice. Turning around, Naruto could see all of the panic and fear leave Steve's eyes the second they locked eyes with one another. The man out of time sprinted towards the only person he recognized since waking up in that strange room, and wrapped him in a bone crushing hug.

The two brothers were finally reunited. Before either could speak, multiple black SUV's surrounded the two of them. Nick Fury stepped out of the closest vehicle.

"Sorry about that little show back there," said Fury, apologizing to his former Howling Commando leader. "But we thought it best to break it to you slowly if one of us just hadn't been present when you woke up." he explained, looking at the other blonde beside Steve.

"Break what to me, Fury?"

Nick sighed. "...You've been asleep, Cap. For almost sixty years."

Steve looked at his younger brother for confirmation. The younger Rogers brother nodded. "Much has happened since you've been gone." he said. "...You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I just...I had a date."

* * *

It's been a few hours now, well, at least he believes it's been a few hours, he didn't really know anymore since everything kinda blurred together after going through numerous physicals and psyche tests since he first woke up. Never in his entire life had his mind felt so...fried. There was just to much information. He'd needed a break. That's when his brother came to his rescue.

His little brother decided enough was enough, and removed him from the building, transporting him to a more secluded area where he could get some fresh air. Then, without informing Fury, who he learned was director of SHIELD, after his brother, and which used to be the Strategic Scientific Reserve, they left in his automobile, towards his home.

"Welcome to my humble abode." said the shinobi. "Mi casa es su casa. That means my home is your home, for as long as you need it."

Steve gave his brother a grateful nod. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." responded Naruto. "I'll introduce you to the rest of your housemates whenever they show up. For now, let me give you the grand tour."

Steve had already met one of those housemates before leaving the HQ in Manhattan. A nice, and very beautiful, young-woman named Jessica Drew. Had the situation been different, or in the past, he might have said something in regards to an unmarried man and woman living together, but he didn't because it honestly didn't matter. He had more important things on his mind at the moment. One of them being his little brother.

After spending some time with him, he learned something about him. He was a man now. Not so much in the physical, as he was present when that happened, no, he meant more in the mental sense. He still remembered that little kid who would always follow him and Bucky around, the little kid who couldn't go anywhere without getting dirty, or the little kid who didn't have a care in the world. It was...jarring to say the least.

Though perhaps the most shocking revelation he'd learned of was the other name his brother had. Not the fact he was still young looking, despite his advanced age, or that he once used to lead SHIELD an age ago. No, those queries would be answered in time. The situation with his name hit much closer to home for him. They were not only the soul representatives of family long since past, but it was one of the few things their parents gave them that would stay with them forever.

His brother didn't elaborate exactly how he acquired it, just that he did, and that it was now apart of who he was. He could've pushed the issue if he wanted, but he didn't. They were finally reunited after so long, and the last thing he wanted to do was place a gap between them by pushing the issue. That being said, he would probably never refer to his brother as Naruto, not unless specifically told otherwise, and would stick to calling him Nathan.

Anyways, as they traveled over to Nathan's home, they spoke of a few topics along the way, but mostly what life was like for Nathan, during and after the war. Steve knew his brother well, and he knew the man hadn't told him everything, not about his life after the war, or what he did during it, and he was fine with that. He'd done a few things during the war himself that he'd never tell another soul, least of all brother.

What he did learn, however, brought him no small amount of joy, but also great sadness. To think he'd never get to know the nephew, or woman, that were killed during the war, or the other woman lost after it. At the very least, he took solace in the fact he had a niece. He couldn't wait to meet Laura once she returned from school. Both she and her father were all the family he had left.

"I'm sorry, but what was that last thing you said, Nathan?" Steve was aware he was being given a tour of the house, but so lost in his thoughts of what he's learned of his brother that he missed most of what was being said to him.

The younger super-soldier knew his brother missed most of what he said, but that was okay. If he had to repeat himself again, then so be it. It was a small price to pay for having his brother back. "Don't worry about it, Steve. I'll repeat anything you may have missed."

"Thanks, Nathan."

The younger Rogers brother nodded. "Okay, starting from where I left off. Don't enter my room when I have a sock on the doorknob."

Steve blinked a few times, confused, and then looked at his brother, who winked at him. "...I understand the wink, but not the sock. What's the sock for?"

Naruto chuckled. "It means that you should avoid entering my room if you don't want to be scarred for life. Come on, my room was the last stop. We'll restart the tour back outside."

As they made their way out front, and his brother explained how he maintained his grass, the grass he was told not to step on, he noticed one of the neighbors down the street looking in their direction, but specifically Nathan's. It was another beautiful young-woman, only this one had vibrant red-hair.

"Did you get all that?" asked Naruto. "Steve?" Turning around, he spotted his brother looking further down the street, and smirked. "I can arrange an introduction for you if staring isn't enough." Steve got red in the face, and Naruto couldn't help it, he laughed. His brother was still so easy to tease. "Relax, I won't do anything unnecessary." He knew his brother still had feelings for Peggy.

"...I see a certain part of you still hasn't grown up." mumbled the man out of time.

Ignoring that, he proceeded to tell Steve a bit about the woman who caught his eye. "She's fairly new to the neighborhood. Moved in just about a year ago. She's an entrepreneur, and only twenty-three."

Steve looked at his brother for a second. "How could you possibly know that?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not many people her age she could talk to around here. I happened to fit the bill, so we struck up a conversation one day. We've been acquaintances ever since."

"I see. What's her name?"

"Natalie Rushman."

* * *

 _ **1st May, 2003**_

Naruto sighed. Damn was he tired. It had been a long day so far, and yet it was only 12:30 pm! He was currently on his way to the Isaiah Bradley Hospital in Harlem, and after that he had a video meeting scheduled with Fury about the state of Project: Pegasus, which he was not looking forward to since it involved the tesseract. He purposefully set the meeting with Fury early in the day so as to not alert Steve of it. The less he knows about the instrument that was one of the reasons why he was frozen the better.

Speaking of his brother. The man was doing well. Granted it's only been two weeks, but he was doing well in acclimating himself to modern society, especially when he had the help of Jessica, Barbara, and Clint. Their job was to inform him of current events while he himself explained to Steve what occurred between the years after the war ended.

Maya, whom he finally introduced to Steve when she came home, couldn't really contribute because of the language barrier, and nor did he expect her to, but she told him she would. To that end, she decided to teach Steve sign language so they could communicate. With their meeting, that only left Elektra and Brünhilde as the only two members of his house to introduce.

Laura was in charge of showing him how to have fun, but also allowing him to wind down after a long day. A small smile crept onto his face as he remembered their meeting. Of course she wasn't going to remember seeing her comatose uncle all those years ago as a baby, so it came as no surprise when she didn't recognize him, but that didn't matter. Laura was never afraid to meet new people, and it was evident when she approached Steve, asking who he was. He told her. When she looked back to him, to see if what the man said was true, he told her it was, and she hugged him immediately. That was one of the rare moments he'd seen his brother cry. It was very touching.

Anyways, the reason he was so tired in the afternoon is because he just finished wrapping up a meeting with Reed Richards and crew about the state of their project, which was launching in just a matter of a few hours down in Florida, once they left New York. His reason for seeing them beforehand was in part to see how they were doing mentally, but also so he could see Susan, and have a chat with her about what happened last night, when she came to visit him at the office.

She told him since he was the last person she was ever intimate with, he was the only person she could go to for help. Their conversation started off slow, with her doing all the talking and him just listening.

It turns out even the ever unflappable Susan Storm was not invulnerable. The blonde woman was quite nervous, scared even, of traveling into the cosmos. She told him she prided herself on being a woman strong enough to handle any situation life threw at her, but what if there was a situation up in space she couldn't handle? Because not only was her life on the line, but so was everyone else' on the voyage.

Susan confided in him, telling him she tried speaking to Reed, her fiance, of her feelings on this, but all he did was rebuff her worries, and continue working. She knows Reed loves her, but the closer it came to actually leaving, the more she realized just where his priorities lied. Everything, and everyone, else was shut out.

Before long, she'd gotten everything off her chest, and that's when she leaned in to kiss him on the lips. He lightly pushed her away, and asked her what she thought she was doing. She told him she didn't feel safe, that usually Reed can make her feel safe, but with the way he was at the moment, she couldn't rely on him for the comfort she needed.

As much as he would have enjoyed doing the deed, he couldn't, not when he had Brünhilde and Susan had Reed. He didn't want to be known as a homewrecker. After pushing her away, he looked her square in the eye, and told her she was stronger than this, and if Reed still didn't listen, then make him listen. Because if the man loved her, truly loved her, he would listen.

All of that transpired some hours ago, and while he knew Susan and Reed's relationship wasn't going to fix itself overnight, progress was being made. It was during the meeting when he'd seen it, the soon-to-be married couple locking eyes with one another. He brought it up after the meeting when the two of them were alone.

She told him she had a short, but very strong, conversation with Reed hours before their meeting took place. She then proceeded to thank him for last night. Just listening helped, but it was also after she left that realization hit her. What she did last night was a sign of weakness, and she didn't want to be weak anymore. She loves Reed, truly she does, and no matter what issues the two of them may have with one another, she has to confront them head-on, even if it means butting heads with her soon-to-be husband. After relaying all of that to him, she left to join her fiance and team.

Naruto sighed again. The last thirteen hours were just a mess of a whirlwind. He just wanted today to be over already.

* * *

Unfortunately for him, his day was just beginning. After arriving at the hospital, he came into contact with Elizabeth, and her protege, Tilda Johnson. He greeted the two, but before he could make his way to Jennifer Walters room, as his ongoing favor to Banner, he was stopped by Ross.

"What's wrong?"

"There's been a...complication involving Ms. Walters."

"What sort of complication, Betty?" he asked. Because the last thing he needed right now was a pissed off Hulk.

"...It's Bruce's blood."

Naruto grimaced, and before anymore could be said, shot towards Jennifer's room. He stopped dead in his tracks the moment he opened her door. Now he really was wishing his day was over. Jennifer was still very much comatose, but she was now, by his own on-sight estimation, about 6'7, over 650lbs, and positively green. She transformed into a She-Hulk.

The lone super-soldier could feel a migraine coming on. _'I can't wait till Fury finds out about this. He's going to go through the roof.'_

 _Bzzt! Bzzt! Bzzt!_

His phone was vibrating in his pocket. _'Speak of the devil.'_ It was Fury calling. Of all the times for the man to call, it had to be now. "What do you want, Fury? Our meeting isn't for a few more hours."

"The SHIELD base in the Mojave Desert has been destroyed." Whatever he expected the man to say, it definitely wasn't that. Before he could ask how this happened, the man spoke once more. "Selvig and agent Barton are compromised."

Naruto's jaw flexed. "...Just what the hell happened out there, Fury?"

"We were running tests on the tesseract when a large spike in energy was released from the cube." said the one-eyed man. "From it appeared a man, who proceeded to turn two of the sharpest men we know into his own personal flying monkeys."

The blonde breathed a bit easier knowing they hadn't left of their own accord, but against their will. It was wrong to think like that, but he couldn't take being betrayed by another student, or friends again. Fury continued his explanation. The man responsible for this was not one he knew personally, but one he did know of through myth.

It was Loki.

"What's the plan?"

"I'm currently flying back to New York as we speak." said Fury. "I'll be arriving within the hour. The plan is to bring everyone together, bring Loki in, and retrieve the tesseract." he explained. "I've sent a few agents to Stark's already. I'm going to pick up Steve-"

"I can do that."

"Negative." replied the one-eyed man. "I want you to arrive before everyone else so we can begin the search."

The blonde sighed. "Copy that. Where are we meeting?"

"The Helicarrier."

"Okay, but where is it?" questioned Naruto. It's been moved so many times by Fury that he didn't even know where it was anymore.

"I'll send Mockingbird to retrieve you. She knows it's current location."

"Send her to my house. Less eyes there." Especially around this time of the day. Plus, Laura was in school. Though he would have to make sure someone watched over her if this took much longer than anticipated. He would give Maya a call when he got home. Hopefully she wasn't going to be busy.

"Copy that. Over and out."

Naruto looked back down at Jennifer. He probably should have informed Fury of this, but seeing as the man was under enough stress as it is at the moment, he didn't need him dropping this new development onto his lap. He'll inform him of this once the current crisis is over. For now, he needed to get home.

* * *

The former Hand shinobi had been waiting on Mockingbird for over half an hour now when he finally caught the sound of the Quinjet approaching. Wherever the Helicarrier was located, it was definitely a fair distance away if it took Barbara this long to reach him.

Already geared up, he signaled for her to land when suddenly he found himself looking at the green of his grass, and not the blue of the sky. _'What the hell just happened?'_ He could faintly hear Barbara's voice in his ear.

 _[Are you okay!?]_ He grunted in response, and she took that as an okay. _[I can't spot the sniper!]_

Now that was a worrying thought, aside from the fact an enemy sniper located where he lived. All that tech on-board the Quinjet and she still couldn't locate the shooter? That could only mean they were dealing with someone who's tech is just as advanced as SHIELD's. Moving his head slightly, he looked at his shoulder. The bullet tore clean through the kevlar flak jacket, but was stopped from penetrating his body by his Vibranium mesh undershirt. Still hurt like a bitch though.

One of two possibilities came to mind. Either this sniper was a poor shot, or they weren't trying to kill him. Thankfully, with the way he landed on the ground, he managed to tap his earpiece without moving all that much, and he spoke. _[We might be dealing with someone with tech as good as SHIELD's.]_

The moment she heard that, the Quinjet shot further up into the sky. If they were dealing with tech as advanced as this, then whatever type of sniper rifle was being used could potentially bring the aircraft down. Hopefully she was out of range. It was unfortunate, but she'd have to provide backup from here.

Naruto was glad to see his fellow blonde didn't need to be told to move out of firing range. He took a deep breath, and exhaled. Adding chakra to his eyes, he subtly moved his head so as to not arouse any suspicion when his eyes widened. Another shot was just fired, and not having time to think of what he should do, his body just did it, immediately moving out of the way just as a bullet hit the grass. He was in his patio, behind his built-in grill.

Looking at where he just was, the shot taken just seconds ago was aimed at his head. If he didn't know what they were here to do before, then he certainly knew now, and it was only thanks to his enhanced hearing that he even heard the shot fired, no doubt using a high-end suppressor to muffle the sound.

 _Bang!_

Another shot was taken, and judging by how long it took for the bullet to make impact, the shooter was quite the distance away. The shot missed, but it was close enough to him that he knew the next one or two shots would hit.

 _Bang!_

Yet another round was shot, this inches away from him, taking out a column from his veranda, which he didn't appreciate. He let out a shallow breath. Adding even more chakra to his eyes, he raised his head over the grill, and immediately ducked back down as another shot was fired. The shooter knew the exact location of where he was now, but that was okay. His eyes followed the trajection of the bullet, giving him a location, though he had to admit he was impressed.

The longest recorded sniper rifle kill was 2,657 yards away. From what his eyes showed him, this was much farther. Impressive skill aside, he had their location. Using his kamui, he became intangible, sunk into the ground, and made his way over to the shooter just as the area where his head used to be was blown away.

Surfacing from the ground, he began to search the area. Initially, he didn't see a thing, and briefly held the notion that his eyes had failed him, but as if to correct the insult, his eyes caught movement. It was very small, unnoticeable to the naked eye, but he had seen it. The space in front of him was distorted. If he had to equate it to something, it reminded him of that alien from that one movie that starred the Governor of California.

He followed the distortion as it took a swipe at the eyes of his mask, and caught the offending hand in his own just as he dropped his technique. He was caught off-guard by the power of the follow through on that punch. Twisting the wrist in his grasp, he heard the pop that came when a bone was broken. He heard no sound of pain or discomfort, and merely saw, and felt, the shooter flip themselves so as to re-align the bone. If this person hadn't been trying to kill him, he'd have praised them for their tenacity alone.

That being said, he still had the shooter in hand, and it was time to find out who they were. Channeling lightning chakra throughout his body, he quickly made short work of the shooters tech, short circuiting it, and was shocked to see who he came face to face with. It was Natalie. He quickly got over his shock.

"Why are you trying to kill me, and why now?" This woman had been living close to him for over a year now. She could have attempted this at any point. Why wait until this moment? "Who do you work for? And just who are you really?"

"..."

Naruto expected that type of response, any agent worth their salt would have done the same, himself included. However, seeing as she failed to cooperate, he was now going to retrieve the information he wanted by force. They locked eyes, and he was in her mind.

It only took him a matter of seconds to learn what he wanted. Her real name was Natalia Alianovna Romanoff, a Soviet born spy who works for the KGB, and who was created by their Red Room to be their greatest assassin, the Black Widow. The blonde was familiar with the name. It began appearing in or around the late eighties, and only really took off years later. The reason she attacked him now was because she noticed his frazzled state, which was different to how he normally acted, and figured now was the best time to strike when his mind was split.

He now also understood just how she could snipe at him from so far away, and so accurately. She was bio-technologically and psycho-technologically enhanced, just like Yukio and Monica were back in the war. Though with how technology had advanced from the forties to the eighties, he'd wager that the woman in front of him was far more enhanced than those two combined. Which is probably why she was sent, though that also begs the question.

Just how was she able to find him? He couldn't locate the information in her mind, so either she herself didn't know, which is possible since a lot of agencies employ triggers in their agents, or it was buried so deep in her mind, that he just hadn't dug deep enough. He looked at her.

"You failed to kill me." She nodded stiffly at his statement. "You've also been captured."

Again she gave him a stiff nod. From the way she had seen him move, to suddenly appearing next to her as if a ghost, and then breaking her wrist easily, she knew she was no match for this man. Oh, the thought of escape had briefly crossed her mind, but it would be futile, and a waste of energy. He'd just catch her again. No, whatever the future held, she would need her energy to survive and escape.

"Most organizations, especially the secretive ones, don't like leaving loose ends like you out in the field for long." he said, stating another fact. "Chances are extremely high you're set to be terminated once your superiors learn that you not only failed kill me, but have been caught helping me as well." The Soviet super-soldier looked at him confused. When did she help him? "So, seeing as you life is pretty much over, you don't mind if I claim it, do you?"

Whatever she expected to hear come out his mouth, that wasn't it. She looked at him sharply, and just had to wonder what he was trying to accomplish here.

"As the man who now holds your life in his hands, I have my first order for you." he said. "I want you to use those skills of yours to help me take down the man threatening humanity."

Natalia was at a loss for words, not sure what to say or how to react, now understanding what he meant, and before anything could come to mind, her vision began to distort all of a sudden. They were no longer on her makeshift sniper outpost, but inside the aircraft she had seen earlier.

"Let's get going, Mockingbird." Barbara looked at her fellow blonde, and then at the woman next to him. She wasn't sure if she could follow that order. Naruto saw the uncertainty in her eyes. "I know what I'm doing, and if something does happen, then I'll take full responsibility for it."

Barbara hesitantly nodded, and began to fly them to their destination.

* * *

As was to be expected, Fury was not pleased with his decision. If the one-eyed man didn't know who she was in the beginning, then he certainly knew who she was after he explained it to him. Never in his life had he seen Fury's gun out of it's holster so fast before, and before anything could happen, not that he would fire, he stepped in-between the two.

"Put the gun down, Fury." said the blonde shinobi. "You're making this out to be bigger than it really is. I have the situation with Natalia under control."

The director slowly holstered his weapon before seriously looking at his friend/partner. "Just what are you thinking bringing an enemy spy aboard my Helicarrier?"

"Natalia, go and take a seat at the table with the others. I have to speak with Fury privately."

The redhead hesitated for a second. Now that she's had time to let the situation sink in, she wasn't sure if she should be following this man's orders or not. After a few seconds, she did as told, and took a seat next to Steve Rogers. She silently watched the two men leave the room.

* * *

"We're alone. Start talking."

"To put it simply, I want to use what's in that mind of hers to help me locate the Red Room, and finally put an end to it." he revealed. "Because they just proved today that they're more adept than either of us gave them credit for if they were able to locate me." Plus, he'd taken a good look at her firearm of choice. It was a sniper rifle, but with armor piercing rounds, no doubt meant for his Susanoo. The Red Room knew too much about him.

Fury grunted. "Hell of a long time for them to finally start going against us for having Monica and Yukio in our ranks."

"Agreed, but this just means Natalia is their ultimate agent if they decided to send her now." And at him no less.

"Okay, so just how do you plan on accomplishing this plan of yours?"

"By gaining her trust."

"Again, how do you plan on accomplishing this? Because in case you haven't noticed, she's a spy, and a damn good one to boot. She isn't just going to trust you. I wouldn't if I were in her shoes."

Naruto nodded. "You're right. But I'm going to offer her something she's never experienced before."

"And what's that?"

"Freedom."

Naruto left the room and make his return to the main room, Fury right behind him.

* * *

"Romanoff." Standing up, she walked over to him. "Do you remember the order I gave you before we arrived?" She nodded. "Good. I have another." She waited to hear what he had to say. "My second order is for you to defect from Russia, and join SHIELD."

The redhead was stunned silent as she wasn't sure how to process the information she just heard. Fury raised a brow, which is the same as him being surprised. That was his grand plan. Defection? He wasn't so sure about this, and before he could voice this concern, his voice was drowned out.

"Director Fury! We got a hit" exclaimed Maria Hill. "He's in Stuttgart, capital of Baden-Württemberg in south Germany."

"Rogers, Uzumaki, Drew, Morse. Suit up. It's your turn." said Fury. He didn't want to just brush off the Widow situation, but he didn't have a choice in the matter right now.

Naruto gave Fury a look, noticing he left Natalia out of the order. He looked at the redhead. "If you're going to accept my offer of an opportunity of having a second chance at a new life, then now is the time to earn it." He held his hand out to her, beckoning her to join.

Natalia stared at the outstretched hand long and hard. "...How will this be any different from the Red Room?"

The former director of SHIELD looked her in the eyes. "I can't promise you it will be, because if you do join, you will still undergo missions, possibly to kill, but you will have something you didn't in the Red Room."

"And that is?"

"A voice." he answered. "If you decide to join, specifically my team, then you'll not only have a voice, but you'll have clarity, or truth, whatever you wish to call it."

Her attention went back to his outstretched hand. _'...Does that mean I won't be lied to anymore?'_ She mentally shook her head. The men before her were spies, they'll always lie, there was no doubt about that, but would they, or more specifically, the man in front of her, lie to her? She continued looking at his hand, and then into his blue eyes, paused for a moment, and took hold of it.

* * *

– _**A Few Hours Later –**_

"Kneel!"

Those who had rushed outside from the gathering, and those who had just been bystanders out on the street did as told when more of the same man suddenly appeared around them, and a wave of power washed over them.

Loki grinned. "Is not this simpler? Is this not your natural state?" he questioned, walking through the crowd. "It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright allure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity." he stated. "You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."

"Not to men like you."

The Asgardian was turning when he heard the voice, and turned back to find an old man staring him down. His grin returned full force. "There are no men like me."

"There are always men like you."

"Look to your elder people. Let him be an example."

Just as he fired off a blast from his scepter, two figures sped in, one saving the old man, the other one blocking the attack, and sending it back towards the god, dropping him.

"You okay?" asked Naruto, keeping one eye on his brother and Loki, and the other on the old man.

The old man nodded. "Yes. Thank you."

"You've got it backwards. I should be the one thanking you." he said. "It's people like you who inspire hope when there is none."

"You know, the last time I was in Germany, and saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing." said Steve, staring down Loki.

"Ah, the soldier. The man out of time." The god of mischief turned to the other blonde. "Along with the assassin, the destroyer of worlds, and the man who caught the eye of Asgard's own Valkyrie."

Steve wasn't sure what the man meant by those titles, but he made a note of it. "I'm not the one out of time."

Just then, the Quinjet appeared as if out of thin air, and that's when Loki noticed the very large weapon underneath it, pointed directly at him.

"Loki, drop the weapon and stand down." commanded Mockingbird, Natalia next to her manning the weapons.

The god of mischief responded in kind by firing a blast of energy at the aircraft, which dodged with just enough time, and which prompted the two brothers to attack. Steve threw his iconic shield, which came back, and began to trade blows.

Naruto came in just as his brother was knocked away. The god turned to face him, a grin still on his face, which clearly meant he hadn't felt any of Steve's punches. Well, he'd make sure he felt his, and he did. A straight right to his lower jaw sent the man to the ground. He was no longer grinning, and he was now forced to look up the man who put him there.

Faster than most could track, Loki was up off the ground, and swinging his scepter. Unfortunately for the god of mischief, the man in front of him was not most, and easily dodged the attack just as Steve's shield hit it's mark once more, making Loki stumble backwards.

Before they could continue their scrum, everyone present suddenly heard music playing, and the three of them looked up, having spotted something heading their way. A blast of energy suddenly hit Loki square in the chest, knocking him back down to the ground. From the sky landed a man both brothers were familiar with, one more so than the other.

It was Iron Man.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games." All sorts of weaponry was suddenly aimed at Loki, who held his hands up in surrender. "Good move." said Stark, putting all of his toys away.

"Mr. Stark."

Tony saw the man in the star spangled costume approach his side. "Cap'n."

Steve quickly loaded up the god in the Quinjet after it landed, and they took off.

* * *

Naruto, who was leaning back in his seat, and keeping an eye on Loki, decided now is as good a time as any to speak with god about something he said earlier, while the others spoke amongst themselves.

"Earlier, you called me the destroyer of worlds. What do you know?" To his knowledge, he's only ever destroyed one world, and that was a long time ago, so what did the god mean?

Loki suddenly grinned. "Tis is exactly as I said."

Judging from that reaction, they were speaking about the Chitauri world. "Okay, better question. How do you know?"

"There are other ways to see the unseen, mortal. Heimdall is not the be all end all."

 _Boom!_

Both of them suddenly looked up at the ceiling. The sudden sound of thunder and lightning in the sky was odd. It just came out of nowhere. Up to that point, before he spoke with Loki, he had only been half listening, half-ignoring, the conversation between Steve and Tony, and only paid full attention when they began to discuss how the situation didn't feel right. He agreed wholeheartedly. It was fishy. First Loki surrenders, and now this sudden storm?

"What's wrong, scared of a little lightning?" questioned Steve, having seen Loki's reaction.

"I'm not fond of what comes after it."

Everyone aboard wasn't sure what he meant by that, though Naruto had a feeling, and that was when all of them suddenly felt the Quinjet take a small dip. Everyone looked at Mockingbird, but she shook her head. It wasn't her. That's when everyone heard what sounded like footsteps atop the aircraft. Stark opened the hatch, and someone whom both Naruto and Loki were familiar with entered.

It was Thor, and he did not look pleased. Before anything could kick off, the former Hand ninja stepped in front of Stark and the Asgardian, part of his susanoo surrounding him. "Stand down. Both of you."

"Out of the way, Ninja-boy!" said Stark. He would have cracked a more wise-ass comment, but didn't because he recognized this guy. He was one of, along with the blonde bombshell flying, who found him in Iraq.

Steve opened his mouth to defend his brother, but was beaten to it by said man. "Stark."

"Yeah?"

"Shut up, and sit down."

Tony opened his mouth to offer rebuttal, but closed it. For some reason unknown to him, he listened to the guy. If felt like he was talking to his old man all of a sudden.

Naruto removed his mask, and faced Thor, who was surprised to see it was his friend. "Why are you attacking?"

"Thou knows why I'm here."

"Yes, I know why you're here, but for the sake of everyone else, so they won't see this as a declaration of war from Asgard, as you represent them, explain why."

At the mention of war, Thor grimaced. That's the last thing he wanted. "I'm here to retrieve Loki, my brother, as my family and I believed him dead."

Steve might not like the god of mischief because of what he did, and has done, but he could understand the plight of the other man. The others in the Quinjet also understood, but they still didn't like this, and were still wary of both men.

"You can't take Loki, not yet." he added quickly, easily seeing how Thor was going to react. "He has answers to our questions. Once we have those answers, however, you can have him." Fury, and some of the others might not like the deal he just made, but he didn't care. He was present, and he knew the Asgardian, they didn't.

"Will any harm befall my brother?"

"...Possibly." he replied. "We need to know why he attacked humanity, and just where the tesseract is."

The Asgardian prince looked his friend in the eyes, paused, let out a breath, and nodded. "Thank you for your honesty, my friend." said the tallest blonde. "I will trust you with this."

Naruto nodded. "Thank you for believing in me."

* * *

– _**A Few Hours Later –**_

No sooner had the group returned from Germany and touched down on the Helicarrier was Fury there to greet them. After bidding them a job well done, he and his group of armed agents escorted Loki to a holding cell, though one not initially designed for him.

Naruto, along with Steve, Jessica, Natalia, Thor, Tony, Barbara, and Banner, who had been let out of isolation to assist, were either sitting, or standing, around the table in the Helicarrier cockpit. All of them listening in on the interrogation, and it wasn't going great.

Fury was getting nothing out of the Asgardian, and seeing as this was going to take some time, Naruto decided to go get some rest. It was currently the 3rd of May. He's been up since yesterday with no sleep. A super-soldier, and shinobi, he may be, but even he needed a break.

"Where are you going?" inquired Steve, noticing his brother was heading for the hallway.

"Gonna go rest for a bit."

Steve looked at his brother, then at the two women trailing behind him, and again at his brother. "I'm pretty sure you don't need extra people to help you rest."

Slightly turning around, he looked down at Jessica and Natalia behind him. "Um...they need a break as well?" He wasn't surprised Natalia was following, since he was the one giving her this chance, but he was a bit surprised about Jessica was following. "We'll be back in a few." At best, he'd be able to sleep for a bit. At worst, he'd lie awake and just relax.

He and the girls left just as he heard Hill inform Stark he was to help Banner locate the tesseract, and proceeded to guide them towards the lab. The others remained behind, continuing to listen to Fury go at Loki.

* * *

Naruto sighed. Unfortunately, he was not able to sleep, nor was he able to relax. Sleep was elusive with so much on his mind, and relaxation evaded him as the live feed of the interrogation was playing in his private room, a la Jessica.

"Fury's wasting his time." stated Jessica.

The blonde agreed. "Yeah, he is." Just one look at the god of mischief told him he wasn't going to talk anytime soon.

"Why keep trying then?" she asked.

"Because he needs to show those working under him that no matter what, he'll always keep going."

"Do you want me to try and interrogate him?"

Turning to his left, he found himself looking directly into Natalia's emerald eyes. What surprised him wasn't the fact she knew interrogation tactics, it's that she volunteered them. "What brought this on?"

She remained quiet for a moment. "...I'm just trying to earn that second chance." Her life as a super-soldier for the Red Room was over, might as well take advantage of the offer the blonde before her was giving.

Naruto smiled to himself. "I appreciate the offer, but no." he said. "It's not that I don't believe in you, I just don't want Loki to manipulate you into revealing something that would not only damn you in front of the others, but give Fury something to hold over you."

Natalia, as well as Jessica, was confused. "I don't understand. I thought both you and Fury fought for the same cause?"

He nodded. "We do." he said. "We just have different ways of going about accomplishing it." he told her. "Thanks for the offer anyways, Natalia-"

"Natasha."

"Pardon?"

"Call me Natasha."

"Thank you, Natasha." Naruto was glad she was starting to open up a bit.

Just as he was starting to get comfortable, and his eyes were shutting, he was lightly jostled awake by Jessica. "Fury stopped interrogating Loki. He's headed towards the lab."

He withheld a sigh. "Then I guess we should as well."

* * *

The trio walked in on Stark and Fury verbally going at one another, and Banner watching from behind a desk.

"What is phase 2?"

Now the blonde was interested as well since even he didn't know. He only knew phase one. Before the one-eyed man could give an answer, Steve walked in, firearm in hand. "Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons." he announced. "Sorry, but your computer was moving a little slow for me."

Fury sighed. "Rogers, we gathered everything related to the tesseract. This does not mean we're in the business of creating..."

"I'm sorry, Nick." interrupted Tony, showing the one-eyed man and Rogers a holographic image of a weapon. "What, were you lying?"

Nobody else noticed it yet, but he had. Banner was slowly moving towards the scepter behind him. He needed to get there before him, and make sure he didn't notice. Banner may have a clear head right now, but who knows what would happen if he were to come in contact with the weapon. Banner was starting to get heated with Fury just as Thor and Barbara walked in.

"I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction?"

Fury eyed the man for a second before deciding to answer. "Because of him." Naruto came to a dead stop when he saw the one-eyed director point at Thor. He didn't say it in so many words, but he knew what the man meant by pointing at him, and he didn't appreciate the man grouping his friend together with the likes of Loki. "Last year, we had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town." he explained. "The world learned that we're hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."

Thor took offense to the man labeling him. "My people want nothing but peace with your planet."

"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" questioned Fury incredulously. "And you're not the only threat. The world is filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled."

The former Hand shinobi now understood where Fury was going with this. Yes, the two of them are still defending the planet from the unseen threats, but even they can't be everywhere. The need for more protection is always welcome, it's just the way the one-eyed man presented it that got him in hot water with everyone, especially with his brother, who was now going at it with Stark now. All the while he inched closer.

"...You may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero." stated Steve.

"A hero? Like you?" questioned Stark. "You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle. I almost find it hard to believe the two of you are even brothers." he said, eyeing Naruto, who had stopped moving as everyone's eyes were on him now.

"...Yeah, we're brothers. I'm younger." he confirmed for those who didn't know, mainly Banner and Thor. He didn't need to censor himself in front of Natasha as she knew they were related, hence why he needed the Red Room removed. "And if that's your case against my brother, then the same can be said about me." he said, having taken his eyes off the scepter to address the billionaire, and sticking up for his brother.

"Yeah, but it's not the only thing that defines you." countered the genius. "I've also seen the footage of what you can do, or lack thereof. That little science experiment didn't give you those other abilities, or teach you how to become a successful businessman."

Steve momentarily looked away from Stark, and looked at his brother. He knew about the businesses he ran, as Nathan had given him an in-depth explanation, but he didn't know about these other abilities of his. Before he could ask, the entire Helicarrier was rocked by an explosion, knocking everyone to the floor, and four others below deck.

 _[Uzumaki!]_ radioed in Fury. No response. _[Drew!]_

 _[We're okay.]_ she responded, and then looked at the three she fell alongside with. "Naruto? Natasha? Bruce? Are you three alright?" Natasha gave her a thumbs up. Bruce didn't respond, and neither did the blonde.

Searching for him, she spotted him a few feet away, and she paled. The scepter was lying atop him, but specifically the area that held that stone. It was atop his head, and he was spasming. She rushed over to him as quickly as she could.

The blonde grit his teeth, telling his body to move, but it wasn't responding to the command. It was odd being aware of everything going on around you but having no control. It was also painful. His head felt like it was about to explode from overload. He half-expected to turn out like Barton or Selvig, as Fury had given him a thorough explanation of how they were turned, but it was the complete opposite. He was being shown all sorts of images.

From a giant phoenix flying through the darkness of space, to two aliens, which he recognized as Kree and Skrull, fighting each other to the death. Next was a humanoid with a mad grin on his face and six colorful stones, of which one was on his head. The last image shown was the visage of a being he never wanted to see again in his life. It was Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

"...Ruto! Naruto!"

"Wha?"

"Oh thank God." Jessica breathed a sigh of relief. "You weren't responding after I removed the scepter from you. I thought..."

"...I'm fine." he grunted, gently squeezing her hand. "Thank you, Jessica." he breathed out. "How are you and the other two doing?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. So is Natasha." she said. "I can't find Banner-"

Just then, a loud roar resounded throughout the Helicarrier, and it made everyone aboard, especially the three down below, pause. The blonde quickly activated his mangekyō, and began to search. What he found made him pale. Banner was gone for the moment. All that remained as the green giant, and he was looking in their direction!

Seeing as he had yet to make a move, and settled for watching them intently, Naruto acted. "I want the two of you to head back upstairs and help repel the attack. I'll handle Hulk." Normally, Jessica would have protested the order, as she felt she could help, but didn't this time. The word outclassed wasn't in her vocabulary, but even she knew when to just walk away. "The moment he spots any movement, he'll move. So make it quick. On my mark. Three, two, one...Go!"

No sooner had the two gotten themselves back up the deck, and back into the laboratory room, did the Hulk charge. Despite saying he would handle Banner's transformed alter ego, he couldn't fight down here without there being some damage done, and right now the Helicarrier could ill afford more. He'd need to move the green goliath to an area with more space, and so with that in mind, he ran.

' _Oh crap!'_

He didn't think there'd be a dead end at the end of where ever it was he had been running to, but there was. Quickly turning around, he activated his susanoo just as two heavily muscled arms came down on him. He grit his teeth under the tremendous force pushing down on him. He was holding steady, but it wouldn't last forever, and thankfully he wouldn't have to. Thor tackled Banner into the wall, and what was once a dead-end was now an entrance into the hangar bay.

"Go my friend! I'll take care of Banner!"

"Thanks!"

Leaving his friend behind, he traveled back up top to assist when he came across Jessica and Natasha beating the shit out of Barton. Snapping out of his daze, he approached from behind, and placed a seal on Clint's head just as the man turned to face him.

"He's immobilized. Move him out of the way, and keep a close eye on him." he ordered of Jessica, who nodded.

"What are we going to be doing?" inquired Natasha.

"We'll be helping in the counterattack."

* * *

The attack had been repelled, but many lives had been lost as a result. Loki was nowhere to be found, along with the scepter. Thor was missing, as was Banner. Steve and Tony were both downtrodden. The situation wasn't looking good for them.

Naruto meanwhile was with Jessica, Natasha, and Barbara, helping Clint regain his mind after what Loki did to it. Color slowly began to return to his face before the man let out a groan.

"Not so loud. I've got the worst hangover imaginable."

Naruto snorted. That'd be thanks to Jessica and Natasha beating the shit out of him. He shared a nod with Barbara. Clint was back, and the first thing he did was hug Bobbi.

"I'm so sorry for..."

"Being an ass?" questioned Jessica.

"A weak minded man?" inquired Natasha.

"I was going to say for worrying her, but sure, we'll go with all of the above." he said. He wasn't sure who the redhead was, but if the others were relaxed around her, so could he. "Can you forgive me?"

They shared a deep kiss. "Yeah, I can. But you better make it up to me in the future."

"Sure thing." nodded Clint. "...Hey, listen, how many agents did I...?"

"Don't go there, Clint." said Naruto. "You'll drive yourself mad thinking about it. It was Loki who did this. Not you."

Barton reluctantly nodded, because whether he believed all of that or not, that blood was forever be on his hands. Before the solemn moment could engulf them, Steve walked in.

"It's time to go."

"Where?" asks Jessica.

"I'll tell you on the way. Barbara, I need you to fly."

She nodded. "Can do."

"Time for some payback." said Clint.

Steve looked at him, and then at his brother, who nodded. "You got a suit?"

"I do."

"Then suit up."

* * *

Fury sighed. "What a damn mess."

"We have an unauthorized departure from hangar bay 6!" said a voice over the intercom.

If there was one thing he's learned in all his years of being a soldier, it was how to read a situation for what it was. They were at the precipice, and it was only a matter of time until they stepped off the steep edge.

"Hill."

"Sir."

"Get our communications up, do whatever it takes. I want eyes on everything." he ordered.

"Yes sir!"

"Also, send Pym a message. I want him to deploy that special project of his. The team is going to need all the help they can get." he said.

* * *

Naruto, Steve, Clint, Barbara, Jessica, and Natasha all arrived in Manhattan, specifically Stark Tower where they spotted Loki and Thor going at it. As they monitored the fight, trying to look for an opening to help, the god of mischief shot them out of the sky.

"Hang on to something!"

Thankfully, thanks to Clint and Barbara's masterful flying, they did not spiral out of control and die a horrible death. Instead, they crash landed in mostly one piece. As the six exited the Quinjet, a beam of energy shot up into the sky, opening a portal, and out from the deep reaches of space they came.

"You gotta be kidding me." muttered Naruto. "Why'd it have to be Chitauri?" Thankfully, his mask was on, because he was damn sure once they recognized him, they'd be going at him hard.

"Nathan! Nathan!"

"What?"

"Do you understand the plan?" questioned Steve.

The younger brother nodded. "Yeah. Kill the aliens."

Steve sent his brother a worrying glance. Why was he spacing out now of all times?! Someone would need to go with him. He looked at Jess. "Agent Drew, you're with my brother." Jessica nodded, moving closer to her favorite blonde. "Barbara, Natasha, and I will stay here and take care of things. You all have your orders. Move out."

"Follow me." Doing as told, Naruto followed Jessica to the location of where his brother had intended him to be in all this. "...Why so spaced out?"

"I'm familiar with this enemy." he replied. "...And they may hold a very deep hatred against me." He still remembers, quite vividly he might add, seeing one of their worlds burn. He wasn't the only one present for that, but he was the only one out in the field right now.

While she was curious to know why this was, she wasn't that curious, mostly because of the situation at hand, and just nodded, leaving it as it was.

"How's the suit treating you?" he asked, deciding to change the subject. Jessica took it upon herself to design a suit for herself when out helping others as Spider-Woman. He did have to wonder at the color choice though. Red and yellow?

"...Well." she finally answered. "It rides up a bit from time to time, but I can definitely move with more ease than when I'm in my SHIELD gear."

As they arrived at their designated area, all chatter between them ceased, and they got to work, which is good because they were set upon by the alien menace immediately. As they fought, however, Jessica's attention was drawn to a nearby liquor store when she noticed a small group of aliens split off from the main body. Using her enhanced vision, her eyes widened when she spotted civilians still inside, with who knows how many more still trapped.

In battle, especially war, not everyone was going to make it out alive. This was a hard lesson that was beaten into her early on in her training by Naruto. It was so she could deal with failure and loss much easier, because failing to save someone, despite having abilities, felt much worse than failing to save someone while having no abilities. Because for all the amazing feats their abilities granted them, they still failed to save someone despite them.

Despite having all this ingrained into her psyche, her mind was made up. Moving on pure instinct, she split off from her partner, and raced towards the liquor store. Not having time to question what she was doing, he instead followed the path she was taking, and noticed the trapped civilians. Judging by her rate of speed, and how quickly the Chitauri were advancing on the store, she wasn't going to make it in time. That wasn't all though. Jessica left her back exposed.

' _Note to self: Punish Jessica later.'_ She knew better than to leave herself wide open like that.

He could take care of them before they fired at her, but then he'd be leaving himself open for that split second to those who were behind him. It was then he made a decision, and boy was it going to bring a lot of attention to him. Sighing, he gathered his chakra.

 **"** _ **Doton: Doryūsō(Earth Flow Spears)!"**_

Multiple spears made of stone rose up from the concrete beneath the Chitauri near Jessica, and pierced them straight through, killing them. The entire battlefield went quiet. The effect was instantaneous. All eyes were on him.

The Chitauri in the area all removed their masks one by one before howling at him in hate. He usually didn't like being in the spotlight, but if their focus was on him, and not the innocents of New York, then it was a small price to pay. He motioned for them to come at him.

His challenge was met, and they went at him full force, forcing him to evade incoming blasts of energy from their rifle spears. While he was moving, he noticed a small squad of fifteen approaching him from his left, trying to flank him. They weren't the most pressing problem though. It was the fire team that was hanging onto the sides of the skyscrapers. Those Chitauri needed to be eliminated first.

"Nathan, do you copy, over?"

"A little busy here, Steve. What do you want?" he asked, just as he vanished from the line of sight of the ground team, and appearing on the side of one of the skyscrapers, blade out, and next to the alien Chitauri.

"Some of the aliens in our area are heading your way. Any idea why?"

Killing those closest to him, he raced across the skyscraper, and proceeded to kill even more of those clinging to the sides while simultaneously gathering chakra. Blowing out blades of wind, he severed the limbs of some, causing them to fall to their deaths, while completely cutting others in-half at the waist.

"I haven't the foggiest clue."

Naruto nearly lost his footing when a shot from a building across him created a small hole on the surface he was running on. Before he could respond in kind, all the Chitauri opposite him, and those on the same building, were suddenly taken out by debris. Looking around, he couldn't spot any of the team who could have done that, and that's when he saw them. Two young adults among a pile of dead Chitauri on the street. He blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Making his way to them, before he could open his mouth to ask who they were, they beat him to it.

"We're here to help." said one of the young adults, a young-woman.

"Ever since we first saw you on TV fighting the green one, and then when you were in Wundagore last year..." started a young-man before pausing. "You're an inspiration to us, and our kind. You're proof we don't need to be afraid of using our powers."

The young-woman nodded, agreeing. "We're like you. We're mutants."

The blonde just nodded. Most of what they said went in one ear out the other. All he heard was they're from Wundagore and mutants. "Names, and what you can do."

"Pietro Maximoff, and I can move really, really, fast."

Naruto's eyes lit up hearing that. Superhuman speed? Perfect. "Save as many civilians as you can. I want you to search the streets, businesses, skyscrapers, everywhere. Look for a raven haired woman in a red and yellow suit. She's with me. She'll give you further instruction. Can you do that for me?"

Pietro smirked, and was suddenly gone from in front of him. He turned to the young-woman.

"Wanda Maximoff. I'm a witch, and I can use chaos magic."

Her saying she could use magic didn't phase the blonde one bit. He's been around long enough and seen enough to know just to roll with it. "I'm going to need a bit more info than that."

"My magic can destabilize probabilities."

The blonde frowned when hearing that. Now that sounded like a very dangerous ability. Thankfully, she was on their side. He looked in the direction of Stark Tower.

"Do you think your magic can shut down what's making that portal in the sky?"

She looked up in the same direction as him. "Possibly."

That's all he needed to hear. A chance is better than nothing. Holding out his hand, she took hold of it when suddenly the world began to spin and she had a sense of vertigo. Before she knew it, they were both atop the tower. Naruto was surprised to see Selvig up there as well, and acting himself no less. The man saw him, nodded, and returned to the screen in front of him.

Before she could work her magic, the two of them heard a roar come from one of the surrounding buildings. Checking to see what it was, they both spotted the Hulk being overwhelmed by ten to fifteen Chitauri vehicles blasting him with energy rounds. At the head was Loki, who approached the downed giant with staff in hand. Much like what Fury described to him, the god of mischief placed the tip of the spear onto the Hulk's chest. All of a sudden, the green goliath stood, and began to smash, but not the Chitauri. He was causing more damage to surrounding Manhattan.

"Can you destabilize the probability of the Hulk being controlled?"

Wanda's hands lit up in a strange energy, and she sent a blast of it towards the enraged giant. It strikes him, and he came to an immediate halt.

"Hulk!" yelled Naruto, hoping beyond hope Wanda had come through. He felt relief flood his body as the green behemoth responded to him when he called his name. "Smash!" The Hulk smirks, and begins to do just that once more, killing Chitauri.

Angered at losing his pawn, Loki turned his attention to the two of them, but more so the girl as he had seen her weave her magic, and fired a shot from his scepter. It missed as the blonde moved her out of the way.

The blast of energy instead found it's mark when it hit one of ten robots Naruto had seen flying around the area, helping repel the invasion. He didn't know exactly when they arrived, or just who sent them exactly, but any bit of help was appreciated. If he recalled, the robots referred to themselves as a single entity called Ultron. It was a hive mind he supposed. Anyways, after the robot took the hit, it began to fly off in a different direction, away from the action.

' _Probably returning to it's creator for a repair.'_ thought the blonde. Whatever the case, it was gone now, and he needed to focus back on the situation at hand. "Use your powers on the machine."

Not needing to be told twice, Wanda did as told, but nothing happened. Just as she began to apologize for letting him down, Natasha arrived, with scepter in hand! She was surprised to see them up there.

"What are you doing up here, and with the scepter no less?" asked Naruto.

"Dr. Selvig informed me the only way to shut off the machine, and close the portal, is with the scepter."

That explained why Selvig was up here, and was acting like himself no less. He then turned to Wanda. Her powers had done it, though in a roundabout way of Natasha appearing with their answer. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"You did good. Real good." he said, complimenting her. Wanda smiled at the praise. He then turned to Natasha. "I'm glad you accepted my offer to join, because if you hadn't, then this battle may have just turned out differently. Thank you."

The former KGB agent looked away from him in embarrassment. "You're welcome." she whispered, not used to being praised.

Unfortunately, Stark rained on their parade. "Don't kiss each other just yet ladies and gentleman. We still have a problem. Fury just contacted me. We've got a nuke coming, and it's gonna blow in less than a minute. It's payload is more than enough to wipe out all of Midtown." Not to mention what all that radiation will do to the areas surrounding the blast zone. "I just need a few minutes to give our alien buddies a going away present." The entire team watched Stark and the nuke pass them by and straight up into the gaping hole in the sky.

"...Come on, Stark. I've kept that promise to watch over you for your father all these years. Don't make me into a liar now kid."

All the Chitauri still fighting suddenly fell to the ground motionless. The team knew Stark had done it. Now all that remained was the billionaire returning to them. Everyone kept an eye on the portal, but after a few seconds had passed, nothing.

"Close it." ordered Steve.

Naruto's jaw flexed. Natasha, who still held the scepter, looked at him for a moment, waiting to see if he told her the same. Eventually, he to told her to close it. Just as it was beginning to close shut, Stark popped out.

"Son of a gun." muttered Steve, breathing a sigh of relief, same as everyone else when they saw him.

"...He's not slowing down." said Thor, who was getting ready to help him when Hulk suddenly came out of nowhere, picking Stark up out of the sky, and bringing him down to the street.

Arriving down below with Natasha and Wanda, Naruto watched Thor rip the Iron Man faceplate off of the suit. Steve checked Stark's breathing, and shook his head. Not about to let the man die, he was about to shock some life into him but didn't have to as Hulk's roar startled Stark awake. Naruto let out a breath of relief.

"What just happened?" asked Stark. "...Please tell me no one tried to kiss me."

Steve chuckled. "We won."

The former director of SHIELD nodded. Yeah, they won.

* * *

– _**A Few Hours Later –**_

"What are you showing us, Fury?" asked Naruto, having taken a seat beside his brother.

After their victory over the Chitauri, the group of eleven returned to the Helicarrier, and while there was certainly going to be a party occurring, celebrating that victory, the one-eyed director had pulled them aside just as they arrived.

"I'm showing you that our conversation from earlier, before it grew out of control, is one that needs to be considered." he said. "This group wasn't the only one out there fighting." A holographic monitor popped up. "This is footage taken from a street camera in Harlem."

Naruto, who was already paying attention, was now even more invested. His eyes opened a bit wider when he saw just who was on screen. It was a friend, and employee, of his. Luke Cage. Who would've thought the man had abilities, he was so low key all of the time.

The video feed changed, but the location was still the same. It was in Harlem, but now it's in an area that was even more important to him because of what was in it. The hospital. And standing just outside it, with a mountain of Chitauri corpses next to them was the emerald beauty he dubbed She-Hulk.

Everyone who knew it was his hospital turned and looked at him with a very, very serious expression on their face, especially Banner. He let out a sigh. "Look, I don't know when she changed, alright. It all started two days ago when I went to check up on her, as my continued favor to you Bruce. I don't know when she woke up, but if I had to take a guess, I'd say it was before, or during, the invasion." It's probably why the Chitauri even attacked her. She was green and huge, just like the other one who was killing the rest of them.

"One problem gets solved only for another to rear it's ugly head." muttered Fury.

"I don't see a problem here, Fury." said Naruto, looking at the man. "Obviously we're going to have to bring her in for questioning, to learn how all this on screen occurred, but apart from that, I don't see a problem. Because as far as I can see, the video is telling me she's in control. Not only is she standing in front of the hospital protectively, but none of the surrounding area looks destroyed. Not like when Hulk comes out, no offense, Bruce."

"None taken."

"Anyways, I want all of you to look at her, and I mean really look at her, especially her eyes. Do none of you see the comprehension in them?" Everyone slowly nodded, having seen it. "Jennifer knows what she's doing."

Everyone agreed with him on that, even Fury, who grunted, which is saying he agreed as well. "This next footage is from Hell's Kitchen." Everyone bore witness to the heroics of the vigilante known as Daredevil, as even when battered and bleeding, the man fought on, saving as many as he could.

"Is that all of them?" inquired Steve. Fury gave Hill a nod. She nodded in return, and pushed a button that split the main screen into sections, each with footage from different places with different people on them.

Naruto looked at each screen, but only recognized four more individuals. Though he said that, only one on screen really mattered to him, as did the location of where she was at. It was Brünhilde, and she was in New Rochelle. It explained why he hadn't seen her at the main battle. She had stayed close to home, and in doing so, protected his most precious person, along with the babysitter he had to hire last minute. Boy was he glad her first time home in months was today. His thanks alone wouldn't even be sufficient enough for what she did.

Looking to another screen, he spotted Logan. He'd recognize that berserker, and his claws, anywhere. The location he was fighting in was very familiar as well. Judging by the architecture around him, it was somewhere in Salem, which was about an hour away from New Rochelle.

Another monitor showed one of his students fighting. It was Maya in her Ronin attire. She was fighting in the streets of Manhattan, though in an area that wasn't being heavily targeted by the Chitauri. The last person he recognized was the woman he met at Luke's bar that one night, Jessica Jones. She was anything but a damn private investigator if her beating Chitauri around was anything to go by.

That did it for those he did know. He didn't know, or recognize, the next four, well, that's not true, he did recognize something about one of them, but other than that, these people were complete strangers to him. He did make sure to memorize their unique looks though, just in case he ever came across one of them.

Two of the four worked in tandem he noted. It was a male and female. The man was African-American and wore a dark cloak. The woman was Caucasian, and held a white dagger. The last two on screen were both men, and also looked to be a tandem perhaps, though not as close as the first one. Both were martial artists. One was a Chinese man, the other Caucasian. Though of the two, it was easy to see who the superior fighter was. It was the Chinese man. The other man, whom he did not know, was using a style of martial art he had encountered back in 2001. Whoever the man behind the cloth mask was, all the blonde knew about him was that the man was a trained warrior from K'un-Lun as his fight against Nu-An and his men replayed in his head.

"Is that all that was captured on video?" asked Naruto.

Fury nodded. "It is. By the way, who are the two kids behind you?" he asked. "I noticed them come in with you, so I didn't question it since I know you wouldn't have brought them here without a reason. So who are they?"

"This is Wanda and Pietro Maximoff. The two of them were not only instrumental in saving innocent lives, but helping us win this battle." said Naruto. He looked at Pietro. "He alone saved more lives than all of our efforts combined." he said. He then looked at Wanda. "She not only restored the Hulk's mind when Loki meant to turn him against us, but both she and Natasha were why we were even able to close the portal." he explained, making sure Fury understood this.

Before Fury can offer his own thoughts on the three individuals, the floor was taken from him by the man out of time. "What we did today, none of us could have done alone." he said. "And while I feel just downright horrible for saying something like what happened today was a good thing, it did bring all of us together to face a singular threat. We just saved the world, and we moved like a well oiled machine while doing it." Many raised a brow at that. "...Okay, like a decent oiled machine. Regardless of how we moved, we should remain together."

"Or at least until the world needs us to get together again." added Stark.

Everyone shared a chuckle at that, but the consensus seemed to be the same all around at Steve's idea of staying together, or at least until a threat was big enough that all of them were needed.

"What do we call ourselves?" asked Stark. "Cause every boy-band needs a catchy name."

"What did you call this initiative, Fury?" inquired Naruto.

"The Avengers."

"Avengers, huh. I could get behind that." said Stark.

In that moment, history was made. The Avengers were born.

* * *

 _ **End of Chapter Seventeen**_

* * *

 _So as it stands, this is the team: Captain America, Kagebōshi, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye, Mockingbird, Spider-Woman, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver. I went with a blend of the MCU and Comics for this team._

 _Speaking of the comics, this story will start veering off more in that direction, with perhaps(and I say perhaps loosely) a twinge of the movies mixed_ _in_ _. This is all conjecture of course because I can change my mind in the middle of writing, but as I have it planned out, it's mostly gearing towards the comics._

 _ _As you can see, I introduced the Maximoff twins much earlier than in the MCU. This introduction is a lot more in line with their comics counterparts._ _Plus, I'm not going to address "Age of Ultron" in this story, or to be more precise, the movie version, so I had to bring the twins in some other way.__

 _ _Speaking of one of the twins. Wanda Maximoff. The version used in this story is the one from the comics, but she starts off with the power-set of the one from the MCU. That will change in time as the story progresses. She will eventually become the reality warping mutant we all love. Also, I introduced Ultron, but in a much different way.  
__

 _I never made mention of Natasha's age, so I'll state it here. She underwent the experiment that turned her into the Red Rooms own super-soldier at the age of 23, and that was back in 1987. I had her born in 1964, which happens to be her first appearance in Marvel Comics. And don't worry, she is going to age_ _(She is physically 23),_ _but since she was experimented on to be a super-soldier, it's going to happen very, very, slowly._

 _Also, I went with Natasha joining the_ _SHIELD_ _in the same way it happened in the MCU, albeit in my own way. I know it's corny or cliche, or whatever, but I couldn't think of another feasible way to bring her in. Take it as you will._

 _Okay, last thing: Infinity Stones. Since I mentioned up above that this story will be heading into more comic book territory, that means the same for the stones. In the movies, the tesseract and the stone in the scepter are blue and yellow, respectively. Not in this version. If you can, picture the tesseract as purple, since the stone in the tesseract is that color in the comics, and the scepter stone as blue, not yellow. Below I'll put their respective colors,_ _and what they do,_ _if you're curious._

 _ _Infinity_ _Stones_ _(Comics)_ _For_ _This_ _Story_ _:__

 _Green Infinity Stone – Soul_

 _Red Infinity Stone – Power_

 _Orange Infinity Stone – Time_

 _Yellow Infinity Stone – Reality_

 _Purple Infinity Stone – Space – Tesseract_

 _Blue Infinity Stone – Mind – Scepter_

 _The other four stones are in the possession of others, who will eventually be revealed._


	18. Chapter 18

_**Brothers Of A Different Kind**_

 _Sorry for the extremely long wait. No excuse, just fell off from writing. Came back after watching Black Panther._

* * *

– _**Previously** –_

* * *

 _Before Fury can offer his own thoughts on the three individuals, the floor was taken from him by the man out of time. "What we did today, none of us could have done alone." he said. "And while I feel just downright horrible for saying something like what happened today was a good thing, it did bring all of us together to face a singular threat. We just saved the world, and we moved like a well oiled machine while doing it." Many raised a brow at that. "...Okay, like a decent oiled machine. Regardless of how we moved, we should remain together."_

" _Or at least until the world needs us to get together again." added Stark._

 _Everyone shared a chuckle at that, but the consensus seemed to be the same all around at Steve's idea of staying together, or at least until a threat was big enough that all of them were needed._

" _What do we call ourselves?" asked Stark. "Cause every boy-band needs a catchy name."_

" _What did you call this initiative, Fury?" inquired Naruto._

" _The Avengers."_

" _Avengers, huh. I could get behind that." said Stark._

 _In that moment, history was made. The Avengers were born._

* * *

– _**Now** –_

* * *

 _ **New** **Rochelle,** **Naruto's Home** – **May** **7** **th** , **2003**_

"Alright. Let's finally get this meeting underway."

The younger half of the super-soldier program was currently at home, in his living room, sitting on his couch, and staring at the Maximoff twins. Its been four days since any combination of the three of them had any time to just sit down, and chat, since repelling the invasion. Reason being, aside from helping those affected by the invasion, was because the Triskelion's was destroyed.

Everyone who had taken part in repelling the Chitauri horde in Manhattan knew other areas had been hit, as was evident in Fury's briefing after the fact, but what none of them were made aware of was that the SHIELD building had also been hit. When they found out, they helped where they could of course, but the damage had already been done. The reason for the misinformation came on Fury's order.

The one-eyed man explained it to the group clearly when asked about his decision, making no excuses for why he did it. The Avengers are the first, and last, line of defense the planet had against extra-terrestrial, and superhuman, attacks. And everyone, even the Avengers, need rest. If they're sluggish because he as director didn't allow them to rest, and recover, properly, and the planet was attacked yet again, then who knows how many lives will be lost as a result of his decision. So, in his mind, them not helping with the Triskelion was a small price to pay.

Personally, the blonde felt his friend was acting more paranoid than usual. Odds of a follow up attack similar to that of the Chitauri's was unlikely, and even if there was one, he wholeheartedly believed the team could handle it, rest or no. The man also seems to have forgotten about SWORD, and the role that organization played in the invasion, though few would ever know about it.

Then again, maybe it was all of the stress Fury was dealing with off the battlefield that was making the man act like this. Not only was the World Security Council breathing down his neck, but he also had to contend with the fact that there had been a security breach, which may, or may not, have played a role in the Triskelion's destruction. Footage revealed a female agent accessing files, though which files remains a mystery, since who ever it was they were dealing with here knows how to cover their tracks. And their identity, because no such person was found to exist in their massive database.

' _That meeting we had with She-Hulk a day ago probably didn't do him any favors either.'_

* * *

– _**Flashback** –_

* * *

" _Please state your name, age, occupation, and place of residence."_

 _Naruto and Fury were currently staring down, or up in this case, a seven foot tall, 650lb, green female, who was no doubt very annoyed right now. Before she'd been brought in, it was agreed upon by the two that the blonde would be handling the talking, since Fury wasn't exactly a people person. The one-eyed man was here to listen, and only interject if absolutely necessary._

" _...Jennifer Walters, 23, Lawyer, formerly Los Angeles, California." answered the jade giantess, a very small frown marring her face. "Why am I here?" The two men in front of her obviously knew she could sue them, but she'd also seen enough television, and movies, to know when that card wouldn't work if the room she was in was any indication._

" _Formerly?"_

 _Jennifer nodded. "I left home to pursue greener pastures."_

 _The blonde nodded. "I see. So you coming to New York had nothing to do with your cousin, Bruce?"_

 _The lone female shook her head. "It didn't. I just happened to be in the area, looking for work, when he called me out of the blue, saying he wanted to meet." she explained. "And seeing as we used to play all the time together when we were kids, I obliged."_

" _I see. Thank you for being honest with me." he said. "And thank you for controlling yourself. I know how stressful these situations can be, and I know how easy it would be for you to just break out of here, and leave."_

 _She-Hulk snorted. "Understatement of the century."_

 _Of course she knew she could do what the blonde suggested, but she also knew that doing so wouldn't be in her best interest. Whoever these guys were, and whomever it is they worked for, she knew should she leave, they'd never stop hounding her until they got what they wanted. And she didn't like the idea of having to sleep with one eye open for the rest of her life._

 _Naruto had to admit, he was being thrown off a bit here. From what the files they had on one Jennifer Walters suggested, and what her fellow students at UCLA said about her, along with those at the firm she used to work at, the woman was meek and mousy. That wasn't what he was seeing right now. The woman in front of him was strong, confident, and not afraid to share her thoughts with that was probably due to the irradiated blood in her veins.  
_

 _Fury suddenly grunted, and the blonde nodded. "Right. I'm gonna get straight to the point. The reason you're here is because of the way you look." he said. "You may not remember, but the reason you look like this is because of your cousin. Bruce saved your life by giving you some of his blood when you were shot." he explained to her. "And here we are."_

 _So many questions were running through her head at the moment, but only one mattered. "Where is my cousin? Can I see him?"_

 _The blonde quickly opened his mouth to reply, as he could see Fury opening his, no doubt to shoot her request down. "Your cousin is currently preoccupied, so you can't see him right now." he explained. "But I can take you to see him at a later date. Sound good?"_

 _Jennifer smiled at him. "That's fine with me. Thank you very much."_

 _Crisis averted, Naruto released the breath he'd been holding. "Now, aside from the way you look, the other reason you're here is because we wanted a firsthand report of what occurred at the hospital you were admitted to."_

 _The jade beauty took a deep breath, and exhaled. "The first few seconds of me waking up are a blur. I just remember hearing a woman telling me to wake up. That they needed my help."_

' _Hm-mm, that might've been Betsy.' thought the blonde._

 _Jennifer shut her eyes all of a sudden, and placed her hands over her ears. "...That's when I heard the screaming. Before I knew what I was doing, my body was moving, and I was outside. That's when I first saw them. The monsters. Killing anyone they saw."_

 _Naruto had forgotten one key detail here. Just because the woman in front of him had the strength of who knows how many men, she was still a civilian, and not used to seeing the things she had to see two days ago. He reached across the table, took her hand in his, and squeezed, offering what comfort he could to her._

 _Her green eyes locked with his blue. "I'm sorry for making you relive that horrible moment. I truly am. But we need to know what happened next." he said._

 _She could tell he was sincere in what he meant. She continued. "After seeing what they did, I just grew so angry, and before I could do anything about it, they attacked me. I returned the favor, and destroyed all of them."_

 _The older super-soldier nodded. "That matches the footage we viewed."_

 _Jennifer took another deep breath, and exhaled, trying to calm herself down from having to remember that day. "Now that you've got your firsthand report, what now?"_

 _The blonde looked her in the eye. "Nothing. You're free to go." he said, surprising her. He noticed the look on her face. "Like I said earlier, we just wanted a firsthand report, and who better to receive that from than the source." he explained. "I do, however, have something else to talk to you about, if you can spare a few minutes."_

 _Jennifer had made to get up after hearing what he said, but then sat down after hearing the last part. If she were honest with herself, she liked the blonde. He'd made this whole situation easier to deal with in her opinion. Not like the other man. He hadn't said so much as a word this whole meeting, but from the way he looked at her the whole time, she knew this man was wary of her. She'd have to ask the blonde why this was._

" _What did you want to talk to me about?"_

" _In the time you've been awake, have you heard of a group called the Avengers?"_

* * *

– _**Flashback** **End** –_

* * *

Fortunately, she had heard of them. Unfortunately, she didn't join, not because she didn't want to, but because she wanted to get settled first; find a job, a home, etc. Once all that was squared away, she'd be giving him a call. And, luckily for her, he deterred Fury from keeping her under heavy surveillance, since the man still didn't believe she had full control over herself, and instead settle for minor surveillance.

Mentally shaking his head, he returned to the matter at hand. "So, explain to me just how exactly you knew I was at Wundagore Mountain?" This was one of the few details he managed to make out from the twins very brief introduction.

"We lived on the mountain." said Pietro. "We were far enough away from the village, but close enough should we ever need supplies." he explained. "While out gathering firewood, we heard an explosion, and decided to investigate."

Naruto sighed. "You do realize just how dangerous that was, right?" And stupid, but he didn't add that.

Wanda spoke up, defending her brother, and their actions. "If someone was hurt, we wanted to help. If there was trouble, then we would have just used our powers to leave, or defend ourselves."

"If someone saw you using your powers, what then?" he inquired. Because to him it sounds like no one in that village they lived near knows this about them. Neither had an answer for him. "Listen, I know you wanted to help, but you have to think before you act. The consequences of your actions aren't going to just affect the two of you, not anymore." he explained. "And I know that sometimes we all find ourselves in situations where we don't have time to think, and we have to act, but I just want the two of you to understand where I'm coming from."

Wanda and Pietro didn't enjoy the fact that the man they looked up to was giving them a hard time on a decision they'd made in the past, but at the same time, they appreciated him looking out for their well-being.

"Sorry for the lecture. Continue."

"When we arrived, we saw you, and three others, enter a building." she finished.

The blonde remembered that day well. That was the mission to rescue Jessica. "And you recognized me personally because of my fight against Hulk, right?" That was the only other detail he could recall.

The twins nodded in unison. "Correct. It took us time to leave our country, and even more time to track you down when we arrived in America, but we succeeded."

"That brings me to my main question. Why go so far to seek me out?"

"Because you are an inspiration to mutants like us everywhere-" Naruto held his hand up.

"Just say what's on your mind." he said. "Your actions four days ago more than allows you to do that."

Wanda and Pietro looked at one another, and nodded. "We need your help." said the male Maximoff twin.

"With what exactly?"

"Finding our father."

A blonde brow rose. "Just your father? What about your mo-" He stopped mid-sentence when he saw Pietro shake his head. "I see. What do you know about him?"

"Not much I'm afraid." answered Wanda. "Our foster parents told us only one thing about him."

"And that was?"

"That he's a very powerful mutant."

Naruto hummed in thought. He's met quite a few mutants over the years, but only a handful could even be considered very powerful, at least in his opinion. The two in front of him bore no resemblance to any one of those mutants though. He shrugged. The mystery would be solved eventually.

"If the two of you need my help, you've got it." The two began to thank him but were stopped. "Thank me when I've found him."

Before the twins could at least thank him for agreeing to help, they were interrupted by a little girl who walked into the room, spotted the blonde, ran over to him as fast as she could, and gave him a hug. She completely ignored the twins.

"How was school, Laura?"

"Fun!"

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. _'Wait till you're older kiddo.'_

As he listened to an animated adventure of hers that somehow occurred while at school, he couldn't help but caress her. He was so proud of his little girl. Why? Well, because she stood strong during the invasion. He knew this to be true thanks to the hidden security cameras he had installed inside, and outside, of his home. That, and he had a firsthand retelling from Doreen, Laura's sitter, and the house-sitter, who also stood strong he might add.

He had these installed mostly because Laura made the case that since she was now six, she didn't need a sitter, that she could take care of herself. He wasn't so sure about that. So they compromised. He was not going to stop paying for a sitter, but Doreen was no longer coming to his home straight after high-school, but a few hours after it. So with that, he gave Laura a shot at independence, and just a tiny bit of responsibility. It seemed he was worrying about nothing. His daughter not only did her homework, but she even fed herself, though mostly with sandwiches.

By the time she began to wind down from her animated tale, the little girl finally realized that she and her father weren't alone. She turned towards the two guests in her house. "Hello. I'm Laura. Who are you?"

While his daughter was already well behaved, it seems she was also taking after Steve in the manners department, which was never a bad thing. "They're friends of mine from work." he said, answering for the twins.

Laura grinned. "If you're friends of my daddy's, then would you like to stay and have some lunch with us? We always eat lunch after I come home from school."

The blonde looked at the twins, and silently conveyed that it was up to them if they wanted to stay or not. The two siblings made eye contact with one another, and then looked at Laura, who's wide grin was becoming so infectious that they began to grin as well. They nodded.

"We'd love to." said Wanda.

If possible, Laura's grin grew even wider. "Follow me to the kitchen!" Unfortunately, they couldn't eat out on the patio because her dad said the invasion messed it up.

Naruto silently followed behind Wanda and Pietro, and placed a hand on each of their shoulders. The twins looked up at the blonde, and briefly wondered if they would have this same warm feeling when they met their real father. Only time would tell. They followed Laura into the kitchen so they could all help prepare the meal.

* * *

 _ **SHIELD** **Headquarters** ( **Manhattan** ) – **May** **14** **th** , **2003**_

"Back to the grindstone."

Those were the first words out of the younger Rogers' mouth as he opened the door to the office he was given at their Manhattan Headquarters. Despite it only being a week, and four days, construction was already underway for a new Triskelion building, just not in New York. The new building was being built on Theodore Roosevelt Island, on the Potomac River, just between Washington D.C. and Virginia.

Anyway, today, much like the rest of his week, was going to be spent reviewing files, but specifically the files of SHIELD agents-to-be. And while Fury was ultimately going to be the one deciding who joined, and who didn't, the one-eyed man had absolutely no say on who he chose to add to his unit. And it's not like he was overstepping his boundaries here either. Fury agreed with him that his unit was very important to the organization. His unit was the first response team within SHIELD that dealt with all superhuman incidents.

Either way, with the organization being low on manpower after the invasion, certain individuals had been elevated from within, being given a higher rank, clearance levels, etc. Two of those people just so happened to be Barbara, and Clint. So not only did they now have more responsibilities, but they were even given their own teams to lead.

Jessica had been elevated as well, but the difference with her is, she left the organization, or to be more precise, his unit. She was still apart of SHIELD, much in the same way Stark was. When Jessica's set of skills, and powers, weren't needed, the rest of her time was being spent with the Avengers. The only one who remained on his team was Natasha, for obvious reasons.

 _Knock! Knock!_

"Come in."

Speak of the devil. In walked the redhead, along with Jessica trailing behind her, clearly unhappy.

"Why am I here?" inquired the spider-themed heroine.

"You're being punished."

Jessica looked at him in disbelief. "For what?"

Naruto stared at her for a solid few seconds. "Do I seriously need to remind you why?"

"I know what I was doing. I saved those people from dying."

The super-soldier sighed. "I understand that, but what if you'd been injured before reaching them?" he questioned. "What would you have done then?" She didn't answer because she didn't know. "Look, am I glad everyone you saved is alive? You bet. But sometimes, in order for you to help others, you need to make sure you're safe first, because you're no good to anyone dead." He looked at the redhead. "The same goes for you, Natasha. Do the both of you understand?"

The two females nodded.

"Good. Let's get to work then."

* * *

The former Hand ninja rubbed his eyes, took a deep breath, and exhaled. He and the duo next to him had been at this for just a bit over four hours now, and out of a potential thousand or so files between the three of them, only two caught his eye, and one was by default. Reason being because this recruit was recommended by ol' Nicholas Fury himself. Her name, Daisy Johnson, code-name: Quake. He'd speak to Fury about her later, but for now, she was on his short list of applicants.

The second file belonged to a woman named Carol Danvers, 35, call-sign: Cheeseburger. Reports say she's a fast-food junkie, though he never would've guessed so after seeing the photo attached to the file in front of him. He could only really describe the woman in one word. Beautiful. Lush blonde hair, dark blue eyes, full lips, physically fit, and high IQ. She was the total package.

Her file continued.

It said she graduated first in her class at the Air Force Academy, and soon accepted a position within the United States Air Force Combat Control Team before being recruited to join Air Force Intelligence. She left that position, and accepted a position as head of security at Cape Canaveral.

"How does a woman as qualified, and experienced, as this go from Air Force Intelligence to Head of Security at Cape Canaveral?" he asked, puzzled. He wasn't saying being security at Cape Canaveral was a bad job, far from it. It just perplexed him why Carol, for all intents and purposes a special-ops soldier, took a security job.

"It says here she was requested for the position." said Jessica.

The blonde shook his head. Okay, so someone was clearly infatuated with her rise, but that still didn't explain why she took the job. Going from a position that allowed you to do different things in different places to a position of patrolling hallways. What was she thinking? Her file continued. It said after a stint as Head of Security, some incidents took place, she was demoted to a mere guard, and shipped off to Chicago. She was eventually brought back to Cape Canaveral, but for the same position.

"Just what happened to this woman?" he muttered.

"There's an asterisk on her file." mentioned Natasha.

"What's it say?"

"It says she has temper issues."

He released a sigh. Despite the fact, Carol was still the most qualified candidate for his unit, and by far the most overqualified for mere security detail. He looked at the redhead.

"Contact the director at Cape Canaveral. I want you to setup a meeting with them."

She arched a brow. "Not with Danvers?"

"No, I want to meet her, but I don't want her to know I'm there specifically for her." he explained. "It's going to be an onsite evaluation. I already know she has the skills, but having all the skills in the world doesn't mean a damn thing if she can't act like the position demands she does."

"People are going to start talking you know."

Naruto looked at Jessica. "Oh, and what, pray tell, are they going to talk about?"

Jessica grinned. "That you're trying to create your own harem by recruiting nothing but women."

Natasha was confused. "I was taught polygamy was illegal in the west. Is it not?"

"No, it is." answered the blonde. "Jessica here is just referring to something that you have no prior inside knowledge about." he explained. He looked at her. "I'm going to presume you purchased your own books after reading Laura's, because I know for a fact that none of her books have that particular word in them." he said.

During the second war, Naruto had come across some interesting literature called Manga. At first he didn't see the point of it since it was basically comics created in Japan, or by creators in the Japanese language. That all changed the minute Laura could start reading. Like the majority of children, she hated reading, thought it was boring, and would have rather been out playing. Now, he didn't mind her playing outdoors, since it was good exercise, but at the same time, she needed to read.

So, he decided to test the waters with Manga. Now, he wasn't like many of those parent's who don't pay attention to what their children watch, read, or play. He read the book first before giving it to her. Just a couple things stood out to him about the contents inside the book, which weren't all that bad actually. Because if his daughter can handle the Chitauri invasion, she could handle what was inside the book. So he handed her the first volume of "Pokémon Adventures". The effect was instantaneous. His little girl was hooked. Read the entire book in a few hours, and soon asked if he had the second volume. He didn't, but he would sure as hell get it for her.

Despite the story being aimed at a younger generation, he actually enjoyed it himself, which is why he also found a few books for himself, and he had to admit, they were far more engaging than the comics published in America. Granted, he hasn't read many comics so he couldn't really compare the two. The book he gave Laura, and most Manga aimed at children, promoted values like friendship, the value of hard work, and helping others, etc. All values he tries to instill in Laura.

Regarding his own collection, only four titles rested on his bookcase. He has every volume of Monster, every volume of Akira, twelve volumes of 20th Century Boys, and eight volumes of Gantz. The latter two are the only two yet to be completed. He was patiently waiting to add a fifth series to his collection. It was Urasawa Naoki's next work, Pluto, which was dropping in late September. None of these books were translated, and were kept atop of his bookcase. Just in case Laura came snooping.

"I thought you hated stuff like harems because it's unrealistic." he said. "Or am I wrong?"

Jessica nodded. "No. You're not wrong, it is unrealistic, only when it's done incorrectly."

The blonde hummed, and filed that particular piece of information for later. "How many more files do we still have left to review?"

"Mm, about three-hundred." answered Natasha, making Naruto groan.

"Why? You have somewhere to be?" questioned Jessica.

"Not right now, but later on I do."

He and Brünhilde were going out. This was his way of not only thanking her for helping to repel the Chitauri invasion, but protect Laura at the same time. He would have gone with something else, but what does one give a goddess who cares little for material possessions that isn't a weapon or a piece of armor? Not that he couldn't give her those things, it's just they seemed a typical gift, for her at least.

After wracking his brain, he came to a conclusion. He was overthinking this. Sometimes, simple is best. Spending time together after being away from each other was the best gift he could give her right now.

"Alright you two. Let's finish up so we can get out of here."

* * *

 _ **New** **Rochelle** , **Naruto's** **Home** – **May** **14** **th** , **2003**_

' _I hope you enjoy my gift, Brünhilde.'_

After deciding simple was best, his next problem that needed solving was where were they going to be spending said time together at. Conventional destinations were an option, but he wanted this to be a memorable time for her. He really needed to think outside the box on this one, and he did.

"Are you ready to depart?"

Hearing her soft voice, he turned towards the top of the stairs, and froze. They say the older a person becomes, the more they forget, and if that's ever the case with him down the road, then he hopes he'll never forget this moment. Brünhilde wore a simple blue dress, which hugged her curves nicely, knee-high boots, had a light touch of makeup on, and an intricate braided hair design.

"Beautiful." It was the only word that came to mind.

The Valkyrie smiled at him. "Thank you. You're quite handsome yourself." she complimented. The man below her wore black slacks, dress shoes, and a nice button up shirt.

"Thank you."

She nodded. "So, where are we going?"

Naruto held his hand out towards her. "Let me show you." Walking down the steps, she took hold of his hand, and they were gone.

* * *

 _ **Norway** , **Karmøy** – **May** **14** **th** , **2003**_

The two blondes emerged from the portal, and they were no longer being treated to the beautiful blue afternoon sky, or as beautiful as it could get in New York, but to a violet one.

Brünhilde's blue eyes were immediately drawn to the crashing waves east of her and the white sand beneath her. Her enhanced senses caught other things as well. Her ears heard sounds familiar, and her nose smells familiar. She felt a sudden sense of Déjà vu wash over her. She looked at her companion.

"Where are we?"

"Norway." he answered. "Specifically the island of Karmøy, near the town of Åkrahamn."

'That explains the color of the sky.' she thought. They were hours ahead now. The sun was going to set in a bit. "Why did you bring me here?" She'd heard the sounds, and smelled the food, of a festival taking place, but that couldn't be the only reason he brought her here.

"There's no place like home, Brünhilde." She looked at him strangely. "You've been away doing your duty as leader of the Valkyrior, and as a Valkyrie, so I don't know if you've had the opportunity to visit Asgard or not, so I figured what better way to welcome you back than with a little piece of it. Or at the very least what comes close to i-"

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence since Brünhilde was in front of him and their lips locked together. After a few seconds,she finally released him.

"...What was that for?" he asked.

The leader of the Valkyrior smiled at him. "For thinking of me. You didn't have to, but you did." she replied. "...It's true, I was homesick," she said, making her fellow blonde nod, glad he thought of this idea. "But not of Asgard. I missed coming home to you, to Laura, to the home we share together. Our time together."

"And here I was patting myself on the back for a job well done." He shook his head, a smile on his face.

"It was a good idea, but ever since I moved in with you, and Laura, I haven't considered anywhere else my home." If anything, Asgard was now more of a home away from home. "So, what festival is this?"

"The St. Olav Festival. Shall we?" He offered her his arm.

Wrapping hers around his, they began walking in the direction of the festivities.

* * *

After a few minutes of walking, a comfortable silence wrapped itself around them as they enjoyed each others company, and the sound of the waves crashing. She eventually rested her head on his arm, and got closer.

"...This is nice, isn't it." she said. "Just the two of us by ourselves."

Naruto grinned. "Yeah. It is."

"Do we have to go to the festival? Can't we just stay like this, walking along the coast?"

He looked at her from the corner of his eye for a second, and nodded. "Yeah. We can stay like this." he said.

After a few minutes of walking, he looked at her again from the corner of his eye. "If you wish to know something, all you need do is ask." It seems he wasn't as subtle as he thought.

"I'm that transparent huh."

The Asgardian shook her head. "No. I can just tell when you're looking at me." she said with a grin.

The super-soldier mirrored her action. "Well then. Would you like me to stop?" he asked, turning to her.

She did the same. "Quite the contrary. I want you to look at me even more."

With that being said, they grew closer and closer until their lips locked, sharing a kiss together.

"...So what do you wish to know?" she asked. "I will not hide anything from you, just as you have not hidden anything from me. Unless it explicitly involves Asgardian business." she added.

"I know the drill, Brünhilde." He's been in the game long enough to know how it works.

"Then by all means, ask of me what you wish."

"I only have one question." he told her. "What kept you away for so many months?"

The Valkyrie stopped walking, and looked at her companion head-on. "The Nine Realms, along with a host of other planets allied to Asgard, were attacked."

Whatever he expected to hear, that wasn't it. "Who's ballsy enough to attack Asgard? Or their allies?"

Brünhilde remained silent, contemplating if she should tell him or not. "...We don't know."

Naruto's eyebrows rose, honestly shocked to heart that. "Seriously? Not even Odin knows?"

She shook her head. "Nay, and Heimdall cannot see them."

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

The loud voice somewhat startled the duo, who unbeknownst to them, had wandered close to town for them to hear a man on loudspeaker. Naruto turned to Brünhilde. "What's say we continue this talk for when we're home." he said. The Valkyrie nodded, very much liking that idea.

The man on loudspeaker continued. "It will soon be time for the festival's main event! Warriors far and wide, who here is willing to put their skills to the test in a battle royale!?"

Naruto raised a brow, and looked at his companion. "Want to join?" To his surprise, she said no.

"You didn't bring me here so we could fight." she stated. "You brought me here so we could spend time together." she said. "And even if we did join, it would eventually be the two of us anyway, and with so many watching, neither of us would be able to go all-out. I do not wish for such a dissatisfying type of duel." explained the Valkyrie. "Besides, the fights from space are still tiding me over." she mumbled.

Naruto placed a hand underneath her chin, and raised her head. She tried avoiding his gaze. "Look at me, Brünhilde." Her blue orbs found his. "I don't want you to feel like you have to justify yourself to me. If you don't want to fight, then it's fine. I won't question you, or the decision you make." he explained. "And you're right. I brought you here so we could spend time together. So what do you say we get something to eat, and then hit the town."

She nodded, grateful to hear all of that, and while everyone they could see began migrating towards the battle, they searched for a place to dine, all the while still enjoy the others company.

* * *

After the duo had finished eating their fill, and Naruto packed the leftovers, they hit the town, hand in hand. They hadn't entered any of the other establishments setup for the festival, as nothing had caught Brünhilde's eye, that is, until they came across a blacksmith.

The child-like excitement quickly faded after entering, where she began to inspect every piece of armor and weapon. She was not impressed, and she let the old blacksmith know. Her criticisms were not kind. He had to take her away before she completely shattered the man's confidence. After walking for a few minutes, they found themselves back on the beach, about a mile or so away from the location they first appeared at.

Taking a seat on some stone steps nearby, a comfortable silence ensued as they looked out into the ocean, calmly just watching the waves crash on the beach. She laid her head down on his shoulder.

"...I know I don't have to say this, but thank you." she said. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun." She leaned over, as did he, and they shared a deep kiss.

 _Click!_

The two of them turned to find a man behind them, camera in hand. "I'm sorry to disturb you, but I work for the festival committee, taking photographs to commemorate the event, and when I noticed the two of you, silhouetted up against the moon, staring out into the ocean, showing affection, I just had to capture the moment." he explained. "Here, take a look."

The couple took a gander at the photo on the digital camera, and they were both impressed. The man had caught them at the perfect moment. Naruto took a look at Brünhilde and noted the excitement in her eyes when she looked at the picture. He looked back at the man.

"Can we get two copies of the photo."

The man nodded. "I can have two prints ready for you in an hour, if that's okay?"

Naruto looked at his watch. Reminding himself he was in a different time-zone, he nodded. They could wait a little while longer. "We'll wait. Where do we meet you to pick them up?"

"You can't miss it. It's the biggest building in town." he explained. "Meet me there in an hour."

The two nodded, and watched him walk away. Brünhilde turned to him. "Why did you ask for two? We can just get one big one and put it in the house."

"We can do that, but if you'll allow me to be selfish for a minute." Wondering where he was going with this, she gave him a nod. "...I don't want to share our time here together with anyone else. What we did here is for us, and us alone. The two of us having a copy will serve as a reminder of our time here together every time we look at it."

Brünhilde let out a soft laugh. "I find it amusing how everyone who knows you personally thinks they know you best, when in reality they don't know a thing about you. Not like I do." she said, caressing his cheek. "That the man known to few as Nathan, many as Naruto, and to all as Kagebōshi is actually a hopeless romantic at heart."

Naruto grinned. "What can I say. I've a very loving person. Come on, let's head back to town. We can kill some time there just walking around before we pick up our pictures and head home."

Interlocking her hand with his, the two began their trek back into town, ready to cap off their already great day with a captured memory that will last a lifetime.

* * *

– _**End** **of** **Chapter** **Eighteen** –_

* * *

 _The next chapter will have more action, introduce some new characters, and re-introduce a group that I briefly glossed over in one of the earlier chapters, or at least the new incarnation of the group. You'll see in the next chapter. Till next time._


End file.
